1 Sculpture

¹

Sculpture

Material/Technique

Polychrome stone, egg tempera

Description

Mother of God with child

Author

Lleida School, Master of Albesa

Date/Period

Second Half of the 14th Century

Dimensions

122 × 45 × 29 cm

Location

Diocesan and Regional Museum of Lleida, Lleida (Segrià county)

CRBMC Register NO

1736

Restoration Ares Pérez

Collaboration

Lourdes Domedel

Year of restoration

2013

The carving, made of limestone and polychrome in egg tempera, dates from the second half of the 14th century. Its structural characteristics, as well as its iconography, suggest that it is a work from the circle of Bartomeu de Robió and which Duran i Sanpere attributes to the Master of Albesa (Duran i Sanpere, Els retaules de pedra, 1932). In terms of its typology it is similar to the Virgin of Avellanes by the Master Robió, although the contrapposto in this case does not depict the straight shoulders of the latter. The Virgin wears a crown with lily flowers and a white cloak of golden leaves that covers her head, something which is common in statues of the Virgin from Lleida. Another element that is characteristic of these statues from the Lleida School is the bird in the hands of the child Jesus which is depicted biting his finger.

The work stands out for its balanced proportions, the quality of its carving and the good state of conservation of the polychrome. This sculpture, together with the Virgen of Avellanes, is one of the best examples of the Gothic sculpture collection belonging to the Museum of Lleida. Bought by the bishopric of Lleida from the rector of the parish of Saidí (Huesca) and donated to the museum around 1897, it is located in the church of Sant Llorenç in the same city, where it maintains its liturgical role.

The figure was restored in 1987 by this centre, an intervention which focused on recreating the hand and part of the left sleeve, lost during the Civil War.

State of conservation

In 2013, as a result of the Museum of Lleida’s exhibition Maria vers Maria: L’encís de l’Escola de Lleida, it was returned to the facilities of this centre. The carving had a widespread smoky black surface layer, most likely due to soot from the church candles, and the chromatic reintegrations made in the previous restoration had darkened more than the rest of the figure.

 Close-up of the reintegrations of the face of the child Jesus

 Close-up of the child’s face after the conservationrestoration process

Intervention

In this second intervention, it was decided that the layer of low molecular weight varnish applied in 1987 would not be removed. It was cleaned with an aqueous buffer solution with gelled additive, in combination with the same non-gelled solution with a lower pH. Agar-agar poultices with the same solution were also applied to some areas. This was therefore a superficial clean on the front of the figure. On the back, paper pulp poultices with an ion exchange resin were used. The chromatic reintegrations that were darker than the original polychrome and that had changed with the passage of time were removed and the reintegration was carried out anew using watercolours.

— Ares Pérez

General view of the back after the intervention General view of the front after the intervention

Material/Technique

Carving in sandstone, lime mortars and polychrome

Description

Architectural and sculptural piece, with polychrome reliefs showing Biblical themes

Date/Period

12th century (year 1150, approximately)

Dimensions

7.14 × 11.54 m, and 1.02 m wide at the ends and 1.93 m deep at the entrance opening. Visible sculpted surface of 80 m² and an approximate weight of 70 tonnes

Location

Church of the monastery of Santa Maria, Ripoll (Ripollès county)

CRBMC Register NO

3550

Coordination Pere Rovira

The Romanesque portal of the church of the monastery of Ripoll is a large polychrome sculpture attached, at a later date, to the façade of the church and which, since the 12th century, has been exposed to the outside in a place with a harsh climate and located between two rivers. The key factor for its preservation was the construction of an atrium between 1280 and 1310, which has lasted until today and without which we could not have created an optimal space for climate control.

State of conservation

The deterioration of the portal’s stone was already conditioned by the weakness of the local sandstone from which it had been carved, showing a low degree of diagenesis, and which in some places the calcite had turned into dolomite, leading to a reduction in grain volume and subsequent broadening of its intergranular porosity, which in turn had led to a loss of mechanical properties and biological colonization. However, what had contributed most to its deterioration were the anthropogenic alterations and mutilations resulting from the social events experienced by the monastery from the 17th century onwards, as well as industrial pollution and a water canal which had been diverted towards the church.

After several vicissitudes, including the burning and abandonment of the monastery, the portal and the monastery were reborn during the restoration of Elies Rogent (1886-1892), which marked a milestone and a trend in restoration works in Spain. But despite the restoration of the monastery, the portal continued to deteriorate. Until the 1929 International Exposition, there was no scientific interest in its conservation or any notable documented intervention; only small interventions were likely carried out to maintain the space in which it was used. It was not until the 1961 ICOM (International Council of Museums) international conference, which took place in Barcelona and coincided with the great International Exhibition of Romanesque Art, that its poor state of conservation was brought to light.

 Night view from the outside of the main entrance of the monastery of Ripoll

 The same level showing King David after the restoration. The first level can also be seen, depicting of the second apocalyptic vision of Daniel

Restoration

Arcovaleno Restauro, SL. Rudi Ranesi (team leader), Patri Amat, Eva Bermejo, Violant Bonet, Silvia Bottaro, Maria Cardenal, Albert Gaset and Sònia Murcia

Documentation

Patri Amat and Rudi Ranesi (report). Patri Amat (maps)

 Appearance of the Maiestas Domini that presides over the portal before the cleaning process

 The Maiestas Domini after the restoration showing the preserved original polychrome

This led to action, somewhat hurried and uncontrolled, involving studies, tests and analyses of the portal, which were unsystematic and invasive and which concluded with the major restoration of 1964, under the management of José M. Cabrera-Garrido, from the Instituto Nacional de Restauración (INR) in Madrid. One of the key stages of the project was determining which hardener would be most effective in consolidating the stone. This hardener has ended up being an inseparable component. However, since it continued to suffer from consolidation problems, the portal was the subject of two more interventions by the INR, in 1971 and 1973, when it received its first enclosure with glass windows to try to insulate it from the atmospheric humidity.

When its management was handed over to the new Government of Catalonia, the Regional Ministry of Culture took on the responsibility for its maintenance. Thus, based on new scientific studies, it was decided that, in order to stabilize it, the work needed to be hermetically sealed and air conditioned, which is how it stands currently, an action carried out in 1994 by the Architectural Restoration Service. Meanwhile, since the beginning, the Centre for the Restoration of Artefacts of Catalonia (CRBMC) had been carrying out conservationrestoration tasks until, with all the necessary studies having been carried out and after the conclusions of the 2014 symposium, it was decided that a new restoration should be undertaken.

Intervention

Prior to the restoration, the CRBMC had to conduct a new, up-to-date scientific study of the portal’s state of conservation, as well as an assessment of the current state of its constituent materials. Material analyses and restoration tests concluded that a restoration was required which in particular should focus on the removal of the resin added in the 1960 and 1970 restorations, and the recovery of polychromes, but also on the removal and the replacement of aged mortars used to fill in the joints.

 Close-up of the second level before the restoration, with two musicians playing the horn and pan flute  General view of the portal after the restoration

 The same close-up of the two musicians after the restoration

 Interior view of the atrium with the portal. It shows the area with portal insulated from the outside by a glass enclosure

The restoration processes carried out involved, broadly speaking, the removal of surface dust, the mechanical cleaning of the upper part of the portal, the cleaning of adhered dirt and various stains, the removal of altered mortars and lime slurry, the consolidation of sandstone areas and deep cracks, the attachment of loose or detached parts, the chromatic and volumetric reintegration of the base material, the cleaning of the resin and the recovery of the medieval polychrome (using a combination of laser, microblasting and chemical cleaning). In the end, the portal was stabilized and its aesthetic unity was recovered, but its state of conservation is still exhaustively monitored by the CRBMC.

Material/Technique

Stone, lime mortar and polychrome

Title/Topic

Sculptural piece with polychrome reliefs on the western portal

Date/Period

13th century

CRBMC Register NO

10258

Restoration

Arcovaleno Restauro, SL

Years of restoration

2015-2016

The portal of the church of Santa Maria of Agramunt is the culmination of the most successful iconographic programme of the works grouped within the so-called Lleida School, making it one of the most significant pieces of Romanesque art in Catalonia. Its relevance explains the succession of restorations carried out throughout the 20th century to try to stop the slow disintegration process of the stone material. The current restoration has demonstrated the difficulty of working on pieces that have been previously restored following criteria far removed from the current lines of action and characterized by the use of materials incompatible with the originals.

State of conservation

The portal was found to be in a poor, or perhaps even very poor, state of conservation, with the whole perimeter area, and therefore the most exposed part, in the most deteriorated state. Along with the effects of exposure to an extreme climate, marked by periods of large temperature variations, there were two major problems: the presence of birds and the consequences of some of the previous interventions. In terms of the former, a large colony of swallows had generated a serious aesthetic impact on the piece over the course of almost half a century until in 2012 when, in an agreement with the Ministry of the Environment, this protected migratory species was redirected. The intervention process revealed an irreversible darkening of the stone caused by the metabolic action of chromogenic fungi, associated with the presence of nests and the corrosive effect of nitric and phosphoric acids in the excrement, which had led to the chemical alteration of the stone support.

The second problem arose from the damage caused by three extremely invasive actions carried out during the 20th century. There was little scope for action in the face of the irreversible replacement of the base, the lower half of all the columns

Appearance of the portal with the archivolts full of swallows’ nests removed in 2012 that adorn the jambs and much of the original canopy, the latter carried out using Mineros® mortar in 1983. However, a lot of work was put into remedying the alterations caused by the poor ageing of up to three differentiated harderners. The entire surface of the archivolts and capitals showed serious chromatic alterations caused by the ageing of the cellulose nitrate applied in 1910, although the most significant damage was the abundant deformations and losses caused by the surface tension and lack of transpiration of an alkaline silicate (sodium or potassium) added in the early 1950s. Along the ashlar wall that extends above the canopy, an ethyl silicate, applied in too high a concentration, had resulted in a surface film with an equally non-breathable vitreous appearance.

Intervention

Faced with this situation, an intervention was started that was critical for restoring the aesthetic dimension of the work. The principle of minimum intervention became a primary objective because it was essential to add as few products as possible and, when necessary, to use materials that were more compatible with the original. The bulk of the intervention focused on a complex cleaning process, structured in a stratigraphic and selective way, in order to remove the different materials added and gradually recover the abundant remains of polychrome preserved across the surface of the work, and especially in the first five archivolts. In most cases, an initial mechanical cleaning, using synthetic brushes, a scalpel and in some parts a micro sandblaster, combined with the application of a hydroalcoholic solution, prepared the way for the removal of the hardeners through physical cleaning with laser technology. The consolidation process was mainly aimed at stabilizing the scaling and deformations that affected numerous sculptural elements through the injection of hydraulic mortar. A reintegration of the lost base material was carried out, but limiting the amount of added material to

Loss of a knight’s face due to surface tension caused by ageing of the potassium silicate

The portal after the intervention

Presence of polychrome under the layer of whitened hardener, the result of a process of alteration by hydrolysis Process of removing cellulose nitrate accumulated on the surface through physical cleaning with a laser

what was strictly necessary, in line with the conservative and aesthetic needs of the piece.

The removal of hardeners revealed a large amount of polychrome, preserved in fragments and remains along the perimeter archivolts and to a more significant degree in the inner parts of the portal. The difficulty posed by the recovery process and the large amount of preserved paint forced the postponement of the removal of the hardener along the frieze of the capitals and the elimination of the modern oil painting, which distorted the original beauty of the sculptural ensemble. The presence of cinnabar, orpiment and indigo indicates the original existence of a pictorial programme of the same high level as the sculptural work and raises, at the same time, a question about the future conservation of this piece. An assessment is needed as to whether the conservation of these medieval polychromes, endowed with a historical-artistic significance of the highest order, can be guaranteed if they are exposed in this unfavourable environment.

— Albert Gaset Polychrome decorations recovered from the reliefs and mouldings of the first two archivolts

Detail of the volumetric reintegration of the canopy and the last archivolt decorated in a zigzag

Bottom of the throne of the Virgin Mary with the inscription that includes the year the sculptural work was installed: 1283

Material/Technique

Stone carving

Description

Religious figurative theme, with plant and geometric motifs

Date/Period

Second half of the 12th century

Dimensions

8 × 5.40 × 0.96 m

Coordination Pere Rovira

Restoration

Elena Iglesias (team leader), Diana Amade, Ares Pérez and Anna Valls

Year of restoration

2015

The portal is made up of a set of sculptures described by many authors as exceptional and quite unique in Catalan Romanesque architecture, in which different stylistic movements and influences from all over converge. The morphology and sculptural detail could be attributed to different schools in the south of France (Toulouse) and in the north of the Iberian Peninsula (Navarre, Galicia and Portugal). Located in a very remote place, it displays an iconographic programme with the themes of fall and redemption in which very varied and difficult-to-interpret resources were used.

State of conservation

It was in a very poor state of conservation, with the stone material in quite an advanced state of deterioration, due to the passage of time, inadequate restorations and, above all, the lack of maintenance.

General view of the portal before the 2015 restoration Close-up of the stone that showed signs of microflaking This is the first step towards detachment and loss of the affected parts

Intervention

In general terms, the restoration consisted of stopping the active alteration processes that had deteriorated the base material of the work (the stone), improving its readability and presentation, and ensuring its future conservation, through very careful specialized restoration tasks. Some elements were treated by means of complex, non-systematized methodologies, due to their structural characteristics and uniqueness. Prior to the intervention, a number of research and analysis tasks were carried out, a key phase in deciding the intervention methodologies to be used. The intention was to compile all the technical and historical particularities, from the manufacture to possible later interventions; in this case, the tasks focused on characterizing the stone materials: petrographic and petrophysical studies, analysis of the altered material, distribution of deterioration indicators and performance of quality controls of the applied conservation products.

Thanks to analytical techniques such as pyrolysis–gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PIR-GC-MS), the composition and distribution of water-repellent material was detected whose origins lay in previous conservative consolidation and/or water-repellent treatments applied in the initial interventions carried out during the 1980s and 1990s, of which there were remains on the sculptures. These treatments had accelerated the deterioration of the stone as a result of an unfortunate material incompatibility.

One of the most widespread forms of alteration that had caused material losses was fracturing, gaps which did not involve the separation of the parts. This type of alteration constantly generates disintegrating substrates and is irreversible. Given the extent of this pathology, the conservation processes began with systematic reattachments and structural stabilization by means of injection mortars, using fine loads of calcium carbonate (lime nanoparticles). Samples were obtained from various areas in order to establish the most suitable cleaning systems according to the state of conservation: mechanical and chemical cleaning, and combinations of the different systems as needed. Subsequently, the missing parts of base stone material which were in a state of disintegration and advanced weathering were filled in with ethyl silicate; it was a continuous process, before and during the cleaning processes, as was the sealing of missing, fractured and/or cracked areas. The joints that were in poor condition were cleaned up, preserving the original material, and eroded and fragmented areas were reintegrated and protected with lime mortars and sands of different colours, granularity and composition.

Finally, chromatic reintegrations were carried out where the readability of the element required it and where it was necessary to adjust reintegrations of mortar or seals on the original surfaces.

This cultural work is located far away and isolated from urban areas in very adverse environmental conditions, which makes the conservation and maintenance of materials difficult in the medium and long term. Regular monitoring and controls would be advisable, and conservation parameters and basic recommendations should be considered, such as increasing dissemination and educational programmes for the general public, raising awareness among different expert and nonexpert audiences to promote a sense of responsibility and appropriation of what is public heritage, and, above all, openly propounding the idea that cultural heritage has more meaning and value with all its context, enabling the implementation of the necessary measures to prevent vandalism and looting.

— Elena Iglesias

General view of the portal after the 2015 restoration

Various conservation-restoration processes; combinations of cleaning processes, structural stabilizations, consolidations of the base and material and pictorial reintegrations

Close-up of the of lefthand starting point of the archivolts after the intervention

Material/Technique

Fresco painting, whitewash and cut stone

Description

Ashlar and architectural decoration of the main façade

Date/Period

1696

Location

Chapel of the tabernacle of the church of Santa Maria of the Carthusian monastery of Escaladei, la Morera del Montsant (Priorat county)

The chapel of the tabernacle of the church of Santa Maria of the Carthusian monastery of Escaladei was built at the end of the 17th century, at a time when the Carthusian monastery had regained its prestige and influence. With a square layout and crowned with a spherical dome, its interior had been designed as a high-quality artistic jewel, now completely lost.

On the outside, the walls of the three façades rise up from a stone base, covered with a coating of lime and an overlay of up to two pictorial layers, visible in the lower-middle area of the main façade: the first, an ashlar about 60 cm wide painted on gypsum plaster, probably from the same era as the portal, and the second, superimposed on the former, a new ashlar with more ochre tones. The main façade is decorated with a walled-up portal in a Baroque style and flanked by two large stone pillars that border the other two façades. Small traces of an old pictorial covering have been detected on the inside of the portal, which would never have been used as an entrance door.

The entablature is topped by a continuous frieze of black marble supported by stone cornices, combined with three octagonal windows. The roof on four sides was made of flat tiles, of which evidence is preserved. The dome has not been preserved and today there is a metal roof.

State of conservation

The state of conservation of the paintings was very poor. The abandonment of the building, together with the action of meteorological agents, had caused a loss of close to 50% and very significant deterioration (displacement, disintegration, etc.). Another of the main alterations was caused by the growth of vegetation, especially in the north façade which is covered. To top it all off, there was evidence of previous clumsy interventions, biogenic colonization and crusts from various sources that had altered the architectural piece.

Intervention

The intervention focused mainly on stopping the deterioration that affected the paintings. The pictorial layer was consolidated by applying hardeners made from lime nanoparticles. The preparatory layers were attached and consolidated through the injection of fluid mortars. Once stabilized, the previous interventions were removed. The filling in of gaps and bevels was carried out in accordance with the presentation system used in all the buildings that made up the Carthusian monastery. In this way, with lime mortars and aggregates of different colours, it was possible to give visual continuity to the preserved paintings.

In terms of the stone elements, the intervention focused on cleaning and closing joints, and it is worth noting the recovery of the black hue of the marble of the façades. The removal of existing vegetation, the cleaning up and consolidation of the original roof and the installation of an effective water collection system completed the intervention process.

— David Mallorquí

 Graphic report of the alterations of the main façade  Close-up paintings on the main façade after the intervention

Restoration

Signinum Restaura, SL; David Mallorquí (team leader), Nicola de la Aldea, María Borja and Marta Martin. Master builder and mason: Ramon Perona

The tabernacle building after the intervention

The conservation-restoration process of a Virgin and Child from the monastery of Santa Maria de Bellpuig de les Avellanes

Material/Technique Polychrome stone

Title/Topic

Virgin and Child

Author

Attributed to Bartomeu de Robió

Date/Period

Final third of the 14th century

Dimensions

108 × 43 × 26 cm

Procedència

Charles Deering art collection,

CRBMC Register NO

11484

Coordination Pere Rovira

Restoration

Teresa Novell and Ramon Solé

Years of restoration

2011-2012

This Virgin, which is traditionally said to have come from the monastery of Santa Maria de Bellpuig de les Avellanes, is a sculpture made of polychrome stone, the execution of which Dr F. Español has been attributed to the sculptor Bartomeu de Robió. The work was part of the art collection of the American millionaire Charles Deering and was acquired by the Government of Catalonia in 2011. After undergoing a conservation-restoration process at the Centre for the Restoration of Artefacts of Catalonia (CRBMC), it was transferred to the Diocesan and Regional Museum of Lleida, where it is on display in one of the rooms of the permanent collection.

State of conservation

The sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary standing holding her son in her left arm, while in her right hand she was probably carrying a flower, now disappeared. It arrived at the CRBMC in a remarkable state of conservation, preserving in its entirety the various layers of polychrome accumulated over the centuries.

The scientific analysis of the sculpture, a necessary preliminary step for the execution of the conservation-restoration process, revealed never-before-seen polychrome aspects. The analysis of the polychrome was done in collaboration with the Department of Scientific Research at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (the Met). The existence of common aspects between the polychrome of the tombs of the counts of Urgell preserved in The Cloisters Museum and that of the Virgin Mary of les Avellanes prompted this valuable collaboration. In both cases, a purple red shellac was used, obtained from an organic dye from the insect Laccifer lacca (R. Solé, R. Suárez and P. Rovira, Identification and comparative analysis of the red shellac used in the pictorial decoration of the tombs of the counts of Urgell and in that of the Virgin Mary of Bellpuig de les Avellanes, RESCAT, no. 25, p. 6-9, CRBMC, 2014).

The need to subject the sculpture to a conservationrestoration process was motivated by its shiny, and significantly darkened appearance, which, due to the accumulation of dirt, was covered in concretions of melted wax and remains of several old protein treatments applied to the Virgin Mary.

The work before the conservationrestoration process

Intervention

During the cleaning test, this surface layer was found to be hard and resistant to the action of the aqueous buffer solutions. Due to its high effectiveness during the cleaning test, it was decided that a specific emulsion combined, in parts, with the mechanical action of a fibreglass pencil and scalpel would be applied. This helped remove the layers of surface dirt, and, at the same time, to preserve the underlying layers of polychrome.

The cleaning process resulted in the recovery of the vividness of the polychrome, which intensifies the magnificence of the attire of the Virgin Mary, reproduced by the sculptor and “painter” of the work in detail. It has been suggested that this sculptural work was the epitome of the splendour that characterized the court of the County of Urgell during the tenure of Pere d’Aragó and Margarida de Montferrat.

Finished appearance of the work

Material/Technique

Limestone (Girona stone) and lime mortar

Title/Topic

Plant, zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and mythical beast motifs

Location

Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, Girona (Gironès county)

CRBMC Register NO

11502

The main façade of the church of the monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants (Girona headquarters of the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia) consists of two superimposed rectangular bodies, in which the base is twice as wide as the crown. The façade is marked by the large rose window and a portal; both elements are considered Romanesque sculptural jewels. There are reliefs, archivolts and capitals, of great historical and artistic interest in an elegant synthesis of plant, zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and mythical beast motifs.

The work consists of stone blocks from Girona and lime mortar. Regarding the mortar, three types have been distinguished, two from previous restorations and one that we attribute to the initial period. This is an orange mortar of quicklime, heterometric aggregate and crushed brick.

Intervention

The cleaning process revealed the occasional presence of a black paint, located in the decoration of the archivolt. Using a pigment made from pyrolusite, these lines enhance the volume of the reliefs.

The façade suffered from the usual pathologies experienced by architectural elements exposed to the weather: lichens, plant growth, calcareous concretions in the shape of newly formed calcite, as a result of the dissolution of the limestone and its recarbonation. In the most protected areas, there were variable layers of black crusts and, occasionally, sulfation. Other damage included flaking and cracks, which were the main cause of the material losses of various kinds that were often star-shaped.

The remains of an orange patina, from various sources, were discovered, located mainly on the portal and in the rose window. This patina was, in part, artificially created after the construction of the façade, but also partly biological in the form of lichens and bacteria.

Our intervention focused on solving the problems related to the conservation of all the materials, including the patinas, with the aim of preserving the complexity of the monument in terms of its material and historical essence. The cleaning tasks, whether using chemical, mechanical or physical systems, guaranteed the integrity of the main elements that needed to be preserved, both the artificial and natural patinas and the black polychrome.

Meanwhile, the stone contained gaps, with a significant number of radial fractures, caused by the impact of bombs during the Napoleonic Wars. The testimony provided by the piece of this historical event advised against the replacement of the affected ashlars, even of the most deteriorated ones, so they were preserved by means of a meticulous task of micro-sealing of the fractures, in order to recover the solid

 General view of the façade before the intervention  Close-up of the rose window during the laser cleaning process that ensured the preservation of the orange patina

surface while maintaining the scars of war. For this laborious task of material reintegration, a mortar in the tone of Girona stone, a mixture of lime, sand and coloured marble dust, was used.

As a result, the architectural piece has regained its aesthetic unity, without losing the essence of the passage of history visible on its age-old material.

Documentation

Kusi Colonna-Preti

Year of restoration

2012

 General view of the façade after the intervention  Close-up of the decorations of the archivolts of the portal after the intervention; the preserved damage from bombing during the Spanish Civil War can be seen

Object

Architectural elements: portal, rose window, crowning pediment and buttress

Material/Technique Limestone, carving

Description

Elements of clear limestone from the main façade of the church; no intervention was carried out on the rest of the façade, made of red sandstone

Date/Period

Between 1570 and 1578

Location

Church of Santa Maria la Major, Prades (Baix Camp county)

CRBMC Register NO

11814

Restoration

Chillida Conservació-Restauració Art, SLU: Javier Chillida (team leader), Diana Amade, Ana Cristina del Árbol, Albert Gaset and José Latorre

Collaboration

Joan Estradé (metalsmith), Àlex

The construction of the church of Prades dates back to the Gothic period (13th century), made from two stones of local extraction: a red sandstone and specific areas of clear and soft limestone. The same elements were used in the 16th century to construct the architectural elements that decorated the main façade: the portal, the rose window and the crowning pediment. In a Renaissance style, these are included in the so-called Camp de Tarragona School.

State of conservation

Loss of material, rounding, honeycombing weathering, scaling, disintegration, cracks, broken ashlars and the general absence of joints were the result of the excessive exposure of the piece to the weather, to the deteriorating eroding effect of water, ice and wind and to biodeterioration.

Intervention

The intervention began with by eliminating plants and living organisms, located mostly on the cornices and upper parts of the pediments.

After some testing, an overall cleaning of the stone was carried out by microblasting it with fine aggregate at low pressure, in order to dry clean most of its superficial dust. A special laser for stone was used to maintain the yellowish natural patina and remove the existing black crust.

For the reintegration of the stone and the joints, different mortars were made by mixing white natural hydraulic lime with sands and marble dust of different granularity and colours. The honeycombed parts and the main cracks along the cornices and the pediments were filled in, including reinforcements of stainless steel where required.

Finally, two actions that had been considered in the initial plan were eventually deemed necessary: the inclusion of four new pieces of stone in the large cracks of the columns and the placement of a zinc protection on the cornice of the portal entablature. The missing parts of the columns were restored with the same local limestone, though not chromatically reintegrated.

One of the most damaged areas of the church façade was the central part of the entablature of the portal. To protect it, a zinc structure was designed and assembled, consisting of three pieces that fit together using a simple system of flaps. Only the centrepiece was fixed to the stone with stainless steel screws, using four small zinc lugs. One of the main objectives of the design of this structure was to facilitate its disassembly and reversibility.

The need for future maintenance of the work should be assessed in order to prolong the life of a monument that is exposed to very harsh environmental conditions.

— Javier Chillida

Entablature of the broken pediment Laser cleaning of the black crust

Completed restoration

Material/Technique

Stone with oil polychrome

Author

Unknown

Date/Period 15th century

Dimensions

103 × 45 × 38 cm

Coordination Pere Rovira

Restoration

Anahí Meyer and Ares Pérez; collaboration: Sílvia Marín

Year of restoration

2012

The Christ the Saviour is the central figure in the Baroque altarpiece of the chapel of Irgo, dating from 1708. It has, however, very little in common with the altarpiece, since its artistic quality is quite superior. Dr Francesca Español dates it back to the 15th century and attributes it to Jordi Safont’s workshop (F. Español, El gòtic català, Manresa, Angle, 2002, p. 288).

State of conservation

The figure has a lot of polychrome and one might think that at some point it was repainted, but a study carried out by (E. Aguado, A. M. Muñoz and J. Ibáñez, Transferts des techniques de taille et de polychromie de la sculpture en pierre bourguignonne à la Péninsule Ibérique. Apports pour leur conservation, restauration et entretien) determines that this is a technique that originated in Burgundy in 1406, which consisted of finishing the stone with a very small and fine serrated chisel on which a polychrome of drying oils was then applied. This technique was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula by disciples of French architects such as Isambart and Pedro Jalopa, who worked in the Old Cathedral of Lleida and the Cathedral of Huesca, respectively. The colour layers are simple, with no complex overlays. They use a mixture of basic lead carbonate with other pigments, such as red lead, copper green, and earth pigments. The orange primer is quite common in stone carvings. It acts as a chromatic background, as it brings light and naturalism to the cold hue of the stone, and also protects it from moisture and other external agents.

The carving had significant fractures caused by mishandling. Oral sources say that the Christ fell from a horse while it was being transported, for safety, during the Civil War. In previous interventions, these fractures had been repaired with cement, using a thick cement mortar, slate slabs and brick fragments in the space on the back.

Intervention

The restoration work consisted of removing the mortar from the back (a total of 25 kg of mortar was removed) in order to be able to release the eight fragments in which the piece was divided; the main fracture was at chest height and divided the sculpture into two blocks. As well as traces of cement in the joints, the figure had a surface layer of soot all over.

Subsequently, a dry mechanical cleaning process was carried out initially, followed by a chemical cleaning process on the front using a buffer solution, with a strong gelled chelating agent, ion exchange resin dressings with paper pulp in the areas with concretions and alcohol gel for the remains of cement. On the back, ammonium carbonate dressings were applied with paper pulp.

The fragments were adhered with a two-part epoxy resin. The junction of the thorax, as well as that of the left hand of the trunk, was reinforced with fibreglass bolts.

On the back, due to the disintegration of the stone, a hardener had to be applied all over with a flat brush. The volumetric reintegration of the cracks was done using a recessed mortar made of lime, sand and mineral pigments. As for the chromatic reintegration, this was carried out with limewater and pigments.

— Ares Pérez

Close-up of the cleaning process

Material/Technique

Sandstone, lime mortar and polychrome

Author

Unknown workshop

Date/Period

1327

Dimensions 9 × 7.60 m

Coordination Pere Rovira

Restoration

Ramon Solé (team leader), Mireia Canyadell, Rosaura Janó, Gemma Piqué, Jaime Salguero and Maite Serna

On 24 June 2013, after ten months of intervention, the conservation-restoration process of the Gothic portal of the church of Sant Salvador in Vilanova de Meià was finally complete. This intervention, carried out under the technical supervision of the CRBMC, was subsidized through the Romànic Obert programme

This little gem of Gothic architecture has a set of unique features that sets it apart. One example is the plinth of the Virgin Mary that presides over the portal, which contains the inscription: “This image was created by Francesc Duluga in the year of our lord 1327”. Thanks to the date that appears on the inscription, and the information discovered so far, this is considered to be the first fully Gothic portal built in the province of Lleida.

The portal is framed in a rectangular structure that is supported on both sides by two buttresses. The opening is achieved using an ogival arch, which is amplified on the outside by sixteen moulded archivolts and two slanted jambs. Of the decoration crowning the portal, which will be detailed later, little has been preserved. Originally, it must have consisted of a central gable decorated with tracery, flanked by two gargoyles that drained the roof of the porch, and the corresponding pinnacles that culminated the decoration of the side buttresses. It preserves important sculptural evidence distributed between the friezes of the jambs and the entrance arch.

State of conservation

The conservation-restoration process was long and complex due to the portal’s poor state of conservation. The origins of the pathologies it suffered lay in the nature of the stone that was used in its construction, on the one hand, and, on the other, in the damage that the church of San Salvador suffered during the civil wars of the 19th century. The conservationrestoration process that was carried out enabled the damage suffered by the stone to be stabilized, and helped to preserve the remains of polychrome that decorate the exquisite sculptural work that presides over the entrance arch.

Intervention

Of all the treatments applied as part of the conservationrestoration process, the treatment for gaps was essential to overcome one of the most important challenges posed by this action: how to display the missing or very deteriorated parts of the portal without resorting to reconstructing them or replacing them with newly made stone elements. Therefore, the deteriorated and missing parts of the Gothic portal of Sant Salvador de Vilanova de Meià underwent a treatment for gaps, which were reintegrated using lime mortar.

The treatment for gaps applied to the Gothic portal made it possible, on the one hand, to respect the identity of the work granted by its authors during the creative process and, on the other, to maintain all those contributions that, positively or negatively, have changed its appearance over time. It was important that the restoration process keep all these variants visible in the final presentation of the work, so that they could be recognized and understood for the readability of the portal.

— Ramon Solé

Central set of sculptures after the conservationrestoration treatment

Finished appearance of the portal

 Gothic portal of the church of Sant Salvador before the conservationrestoration process

 Mapping of the portal showing the areas that were treated for gaps

Material/Technique Marble carving

Date/Period 12th century

Dimensions 3 × 1.2 m

CRBMC Register NO

12151

Coordination Pere Rovira

The main cloister of the Gothic monastery of Santes Creus was built in 1331 to replace the previous Romanesque one, of which only the hexagonal pavilion of the lavatorium remains. This lavatorium is found after entering the cloister through the front door of the south wing and is where the monks washed their hands before meals. This fountain is from around the same period as the fountain in the cloister of the monastery of Poblet.

Description

This lavatorium is fed by a water source that comes directly from the outside and is located in the centre of the pavilion. It consists of two quite different parts that correspond to two historical periods. From the ground, on a first step, rises the cylindrical basin, consisting of three rows of uniform stone ashlars topped by a curved row that outlines it. Centered inside this basin, a circular pile of marble with stylized shapes and geometric profiles rises like a cup. Around the perimeter of this cup, there are eighteen troughs through which the water flows to the basin. The exact shape is uncertain due to the state of conservation of the piece. It contains a calcareous crust produced by the dripping of water over a period of fifty years which completely blurs its aesthetic quality.

State of conservation

The main cause of the alteration is the hardness of this water, which contains a large amount of carbonates. These, over the years, have formed several crusts of calcareous concretion that in some parts are over 40 cm thick. These biomorphic concretions are mostly concentrated in the fountain of the upper body and in the cup, from where the water pours out poorly. Due to the obstruction of the drainage holes as a result of calcification, the water overflows from the basin and spills out unevenly on all sides.

In addition, there is an extensive colonization of mosses and plants, as well as microorganisms located in the grouting of ashlars. The true condition of the stone can only be perceived after cleaning, since it is hidden by the concretions and vegetation. These alterations, the product of years of use, of the hardness of the water and of the outdoor location basically include superficial dirt, fine calcareous concretions and areas of black crust, as well physical issues with the stone itself, such as flaking, erosion, cracks and fissures. Some parts have disintegrated and contain soluble salts, the result of the repair mortars used to realign the elements that make up the basin.

Intervention

The intervention was basically mechanical, although a chemical cleaning for the black crusts, carbonation layers and biological colonization was required. The most complex part was the removal of the limestone concretion, which was completely uneven, using all possible mechanical methods. The most important thing was to find the point where the original stone emerged, since there was no visual reference, just a few old photos that depicted its shape. On the upper level, where it looked like there might be a second cup, there turned out to be nothing.

The fact is that the elements that comprise the basin are in direct contact with water, so constant maintenance will be required.

— Pere Rovira

Process of removing the accumulation of calcareous deposits

Years of restoration

2012-2013

General view of the lavatorium towards the end of the intervention

Appearance of the stone surface covered in calcareous concretions, salts and biological elements

Material/Technique

Sandstone, lime mortar and tempera paint

Title/Topic

Architectural work with sculptural and pictorial ornamentation

Author

Marià Enric and Josep Burià (architects)

Date/Period 1776-1800

CRBMC Register NO

12356

Coordination Pere Rovira

Restoration

Albert Gaset (project manager), Ricard Bernet, Mireia Canyadell, Elena Iglesias, Jose Latorre, Esteve Loire, Anna Marzemin and Conxita Piqué

Among the main factors that explain the poor state of conservation of the façade are the physical limitations of the stone used and the difficulties associated with maintaining a work of this size. The usual effects of rainwater on a sedimentary sandstone have been aggravated by the high content of clays, distributed heterogeneously in the form of seams and nodules, ranging in diameter from 1 to 25 mm. Repeated hydration and evaporation cycles have lead to their expansion and triggered a process of fragmentation and loss of stone material.

State of conservation

The advanced deteriorated state of some architectural elements was a very significant factor in establishing the guidelines that needed to be followed to properly homogenize the entire piece. Every part had to be stabilized and, at the same time, the limits of the restoration needed to be established to ensure the application only of what was necessary. Only by establishing these limits could the balance between the structural needs of such a work, characterized by the symmetry and sharpness of the architectural lines, and the conservation-restoration concepts embodied in international charters be ensured.

Intervention

Once the massive presence of foreign materials deposited on the succession of entablatures that adorn the façade had been removed, pneumatic tools were used to eliminate two different types of modern mortars: one of a synthetic nature that filled all the joints between the ashlars and, along the lower section of the building, the reintegrations using cement that masked the deterioration of the material caused by rising damp. The cleaning process involved both dry cleaning using a mini-gun along the wall and chemical cleaning using a hydroalcoholic solution combined with the occasional use of a micro sandblaster on the surface of the sculptural elements. The consolidation of the base material also combined two procedures: the impregnation with ethyl silicate of the weakened and disintegrated areas of the stone, and the injection of hydraulic mortar to stabilize of the areas with cracks, deformations and widespread scaling. This process involved the dismantling, cataloguing and relocation of numerous fragments of very variable sizes and weights, which is why different fastening systems were used. Following archeological criteria based on a policy of minimum intervention, a single type of mortar was used, both for large losses in the stone material and for losses in the mortar joins. This solution ensured a more ordered and interpretable result. The executed processes will only have been worthwhile in the medium and long term if the numerous preventive conservation measures proposed initially in the restoration plan are ultimately followed. Following the established guidelines, the last phase of the intervention focused on protecting the surface with repeated applications of limewater, the restoration of rainwater drainage systems, the protection of cornices with zinc sheets fitted with a gutter and the installation of anti-bird spikes.

— Albert Gaset

Close-up of the volumetric reintegration in one of the adjoined columns  Example of the advanced process of disintegration and loss of base material suffered by all the architectural elements of the piece

 Right entablature during the last phase of the intervention

Year of restoration

2018

Appearance of the façade after the restoration

Material/Technique

Carved and polychrome stone. Oil and gilding

Title/Topic

Virgin of the Patronage

Author

Attributed to the Master of Rieux

Date/Period

14th century

Location

Parish church of Sant Miquel and Sant Vicenç, Cardona (Bages county)

CRBMC Register NO

12374

Coordination Pere Rovira

Restoration

Rosaura Janó and Ramon Solé

This magnificent Gothic Virgin and Child is worshiped in the parish church of Sant Miquel de Cardona, under the auspices of the Patronage. It is almost life size and is made of polychrome stone. Dr Francesca Español has attributed it to the Rieux workshop. It shows Mary standing, in a characteristic contrapposto, holding her son with her left arm, while her right hand holds an open book in which is written the first sentence of the Magnificat. This image has been repaired and modified several times throughout its history. The most traumatic was the destruction it suffered at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and its subsequent reconstruction in 1937, from those original fragments that could be recovered (R. Solé, Étude et restauration de la Vierge à l’Enfant de Cardona. Tolouse au XIVe siècle, Tolosa, Presses Universitaires du Midi, 2018, in print).

State of conservation

In November 2014, an organoleptic examination was performed on the Virgin of the Patronage, since parts of the base showed signs of damage and there were alterations in the polychrome that needed to be treated immediately. This resulted in a conservation-restoration process that took place at the CRBMC.

Once transferred to the Centre, a scientific analysis of the work was carried out, which consisted of taking x-rays and examining photographs taken with UV and IR light. Representative samples of stone and polychrome were also extracted to be analysed under stereo microscopy, optical microscopy (OM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GS-MS) and SEM DX.

Intervention

During the conservation-restoration process, the base was stabilized, the damage was repaired and the layers that obscured the surface of the Virgin Mary were removed. The scientific study revealed that the sculpture, apart from the accumulation of dirt on the surface, contained a varnish made

  Control with ultraviolet light during cleaning treatment of sandarac resin. The ageing of this gave the sculpture a shiny yellowish appearance that affected the appreciation of the original colours. The cleaning operation consisted, first, of removing with a vacuum cleaner and flat brush the dust sediments accumulated on the surface of the sculpture, and the remnants of wax using a scalpel. Subsequently, it was chemically cleaned using a pH 5.3 buffer solution to remove soot and smoke residue that had stuck to the surface. Finally, a gel containing ethyl lactate and Klucel ® G was used to remove the sandarac varnish. The gel ensured the action of the solvent was limited to the surface of the varnish without affecting the underlying layers. Previous studies have discovered that sandarac varnish emits a characteristic colour when exposed to UV radiation. Photographic monitoring of the cleaning process using the technique of visible fluorescence with UV radiation made it possible to control the effectiveness of the gel in removing it.

— Ramon Solé

Appearance of the work after the conservationrestoration process

Virgin of the Patronage before the conservationrestoration process

Material/Technique

Local limestone and lime and sand mortar for the grouting of ashlars and voussoirs. Sculptural elements carved in bas-relief

Title/Topic

Intertwined plant and geometric decorations and figurative motifs of religious and symbolic themes (human figurations, mythical beasts

Date/Period

Mid or second quarter of the 13th century

Dimensions

8.42 × 8.97 × 0.60 m

Location

Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Gandesa (Terra Alta county)

CRBMC Register NO

12379

The Romanesque portal of the church of the Assumption in Gandesa, located on the northern façade of the church of Romanesque origin, is a typical example of the socalled Lleida School; stylistically, it follows the principal exponents of the portals of the Old Cathedral and Santa Maria d’Agramunt. It has an eclectic style, due to a mix of Toulousian and Lombardian influences and Andalusianinspired ornamentation, which is explained by the involvement of Saracen artisans in the work.

The constituent material is a relatively crystalline limestone, similar to that used in the church of Vinaixa. It is carved in squared ashlars and arranged in uniform rows, or sculpted in bas-reliefs in geometric shapes, plant-inspired motifs and figurative motifs.

State of conservation

The stone was in quite good condition generally, though covered with a lot of dirt and deposits, including a thick biogenic layer. There were also signs of surface erosion, honeycomb weathering, gaps and displacements in the ashlars, as well as insufficient grouting and several added cements.

The most delicate issue derived from the discovery of various patinas found on the surface. The most visible was dark in colour, widespread and shiny, which significantly altered the aesthetics of the monument. A stratigraphic cross-section revealed several layers on top of the stone substrate. First, a widespread layer over the stone substrate, formed by calcite and small amounts of clay giving it an orange colour. This was a natural patina, formed over time and the result of the environmental conditions and the metabolic activity of certain organisms. Next, there was a black layer, which contained gypsum. It was potentially an incipient stage of black crust, but we could not exclude that possibility that it was an artificial patina. Finally, we discovered a third transparent layer, shiny and cracked, on top of the black patina. Calcium oxalate was also detected, as well as an organic-synthetic resin probably applied as a protective product.

Intervention

The removal of both the added resin layer and the dark patina was considered appropriate. To achieve this, a physical clean was carried out using laser technology, applied at a controlled distance from the base material and regulating the frequency and energy density. This system allowed for selective cleaning, the removal of the dark patina and the resin, while protecting the natural patina of the stone.

For the cleaning of other areas of the façade, other procedures were used depending on the requirements, with the aim of standardizing the whole work and improving its aesthetic appearance.

The material reintegration of the stone gaps and grouting also played a key role in the recovery of the aesthetic unity of the work. All these restorations were carried out with lime mortar, sand and stone powder. In the area of the archivolts and columns, a stone-coloured mortar was used to restore the original unity of a sculptural work with no solution for its continuity.

— Rudi Ranesi

Planimetric study and mapping of the portal; reintegration mortars used:  Mortar 1: Filler between ashlars  Mortar 2: Filler on portal  Mortar 3: Holes, fissures and cracks  Mortar 4: Reintegration of the cornice

Documentation

Neus Casal and Caridad de la Peña. Photos: Verònica Moragas

Year of restoration

2015

 Close-up of a sculptural element of the portal after the intervention

 General view of the portal after the intervention

Material/Technique

Stone from Montjuïc cut in high and low reliefs, and grouted with lime and sand mortar. Remains of polychromes and artificial patina. Bronze halo and cross of Christ. Sculpture of Saint Eulalia in polychrome polyester resin, with wooden cross and wrought iron palm branch

Description

Reliefs with figurative motifs (animal, human and grotesque figures), plant elements and traceries. Figure of Christ with cherubs, figure of Santa Eulalia and heraldic motifs

Author

Unknown

Date/Period

Early 15th century (ca. 1410)

The portal of Santa Eulàlia, located on the south-west façade of Barcelona Cathedral, offers access to the cloister of the cathedral complex. Built in 1410, it has Gothic architectural features; the use of an ogival arch, the exterior canopy in the shape of an ogee and the slender side pinnacles are examples of the late Gothic or Flamboyant style.

The archivolts and pointed arch rest on adjoined columns; these have capitals showing plant motifs and moulded bases, raised on an ashlar podium. The archivolts are also richly decorated, with plant motifs and animal, human and grotesque figurations. The piece is presided over by the figure of a blessing Christ, accompanied by cherubs. On the tympanum there is a sculpture of Saint Eulalia ennobled by a Gothic-style dossal and flanked by two coats of arms of Bishop Sapera, while on the lintel there is an inscription of an article of the Spanish Constitution, added during the Liberal Triennium, in capital letters and half hidden by a brown pictorial coating applied at the end of the Liberal Triennium.

Finally, all around the portal there are remains of polychromes and patinas, original and added, which, despite their fragmentary state, provide clear evidence of what the monument should look like.

Planimetric study and mapping of the portal, which details the stone consolidation and reintegration processes and the attachment of the polychrome: Stone consolidation  Adhesion of fragments  Reattachment of ashlars  Ethyl silicate Material reintegration  Plastering of holes, fissures and cracks  Bevelling  Filler between ashlars  Stone graft Polychrome and Santa Eulàlia sculpture  Securing of pictorial layers  Plastering of cracks  Chromatic reintegration  Protective layers (wood and metals)  General view of the portal after the restoration

Location

Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, Barcelona (Barcelonès county)

CRBMC Register NO

12978

Restoration

Arcovaleno Restauro, SL: Rudi Ranesi (team leader), Maria Borja, Jose Latorre, Gianpiero Lauriola, Jose Luis Palomares and David Quintela

Documentation

Neus Casal and Caridad de la Peña. Photographies and audiovisual report: Verònica Moragas

Years of restoration

2016-2017

Close-up of the sculptural work that crowns the outer archivolt; figure of a blessing Christ, accompanied by two cherubs. The halo of Christ and the cross of the globus cruciger he is holding with his left hand are both bronze pieces embedded in the stone sculpture

The stone used is from Montjuïc, carved into ashlars arranged in uniform rows, or cut to form mouldings and reliefs. The joints between the various elements were grouted with a lime and sand mortar, partially replaced by cement.

During the restoration process the presence of various decorative coatings was detected: artificial patinas, which depending on the area were preserved more or less evenly and were hidden by the darkened surfaces. Of note was an orange patina, made of gypsum stained with a mineral pigment, which seemed to have been applied with the intention of making the stone appear more uniform.

State of conservation

In general, the portal was in a poor state of conservation, to varying degrees depending on the area. Of particular note was the abundant amount of dirt, bird droppings and a black crust, which mainly affected the reliefs that crowned the work. It had also suffered physicomechanical alterations, some of which had resulted in losses of material.

Intervention

The intervention focused on cleaning the surfaces and stabilizing the constituent materials, by consolidating and sealing the whole work, while reintegrating some loss of material that made the reading of the monument difficult, in order to restore its aesthetic unity.

Based on these objectives, the intervention followed the criteria of minimum intervention and focused on the preservation of both the artistic and historical aspect of the monument; a decision was taken to preserve all the added elements and materials that make up part of the portal’s history, such as the inscription and the patinas.

Of the different processes, the most complex was the cleaning, since it required leaving the patinas and polychromes intact. A mechanical and abrasive cleaning process was carried out, combined with physical cleaning using a laser.

Finally, it is worth noting that the damage caused by the bombings during the Spanish Civil War, considered a historically significant element, was preserved.

— Rudi Ranesi

Conservation-restoration of three Roman-era statues from the collection at the National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona (MNAT)

Material/Technique

Marble carving with remains of polychrome

Description

Two figures with togas and one with a cuirass

Date/Period 1st century

Dimensions

CRBMC 13386: togaed statue, possibly Augustus. 283 × 85 × 52 cm; CRBMC 13387: cuirassed statue 200 × 94 × 47 cm; CRBMC 13388: togaed statue, possibly Claudius. 200 × 76 × 40 cm

Origin

Roman theatre. Tarragona (Tarragonès county)

Location

National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona (MNAT)

These statues were part of the decoration of the scaenae frons of the Tarraco theatre, built in the time of Augustus. They were found during the archaeological excavations that took place in the early 20th century in that location.

In order to restore them in a space with the appropriate equipment, the pieces were transferred to the CRBMC wall painting and stone sculpture laboratory, where the necessary conservation and restoration treatments have been performed in order to improve their state of conservation and readability.

The figures represent members of the imperial family, two of them dressed in togas and the other wearing military attire. The larger than life-sized statues were carved in Carrara marble and were originally polychromed.

State of conservation

The sculptures had lost parts that, during their creation, had originally been carved from separate blocks, such as the heads, arms and hands. Where these joined with the limbs, some of the iron rods used to support the connections

Cleaning a fragment of one of the togas were preserved, though they were showing signs of rust. It is worth noting that the main structures had suffered material losses, cracks and fractures.

We found drip stains from synthetic resins used to join fragments, reintegration plaster work and on the surface there were widespread dirt deposits.

The state of conservation of the polychrome varied from statue to statue, although most of it had been lost, especially in one of the togaed figures and the one with the cuirass.

As for the material losses, one of the togaed figures and the one with a cuirass were missing part of their lower limbs, so they required supports to be exhibited upright.

Intervention

The process involved applying various treatments. A general cleaning of the surfaces of the works was carried out, first dry and then with a solution prepared with chelators. Depending on the case, the product was applied either using cotton swabs or using sheets of kitchen roll. It was also necessary to remove the elements of plaster reintegration and remains of glue (mostly in the form of a drip stains) used in an previous intervention to join the fragments of the cuirassed statue. The elements of plaster reintegration on one of the togaed statues was also eliminated.

These operations were done mechanically and, in the case of the glue, a solvent was first applied using a poultice, in order to soften it. The polychrome that remained on the toga of one of the pieces was cleaned with a rubber eraser and a vulcanized smoke sponge. In some parts, the polychrome was consolidated with an acrylic resin solution. The metallic elements were cleaned mechanically and an inhibitor and a layer of acrylic resin was subsequently applied to the surface. Several stone fragments were also stuck back together using synthetic resins. Some gaps cracks and joints of the fractured parts required reintegration. In this case, a mortar made of marble powder and a synthetic binder was used.

Support systems

It was necessary to design and build support elements adapted to the characteristics of two of the pieces, in order to keep them upright. In the case of the cuirassed sculpture, a metal structure was built that holds it up without the need for any bolts. Regarding the togaed statue, an element with high resistance resin was developed based on a 3D model, machined with a numerical milling machine.

Restoration

Pau Arroyo (team leader), Adrià Arroyo, Francisco Justicia and Ares Pérez

Year of restoration

2018

Prosthesis adapted to the sculpture to stabilize it

The cuirassed sculpture installed on the support structure One of the togaed statues after the intervention