2 Sculpture and painting on wood

2

Sculpture and painting on wood

Material/Technique

Wood carving, oil, tempera and gold leaf

Description

High altarpiece dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin

Author

Pau Costa (1706-1710). Gilding: Erasme Vinyals and Fèlix Vinyals (1711-1712)

Location

Parish church of Santa Maria. Arenys de Mar (Maresme county)

CRBMC Register NO

3014

Coordination

Natàlia Sánchez and Alícia Santomà

The parish church of Santa Maria, in Arenys de Mar, contains one of the most important altarpieces of the Catalan Baroque, declared a cultural asset of national interest (BCIN): the high altarpiece of the Assumption of the Virgin.

During the Spanish Civil War, the altarpiece suffered severe damage, and some of the original sculptures and decorations disappeared. During the years following the war, some of the lost elements were added and rebuilt, as were the side walls of the sculptural piece. Since 1982, the CRBMC has been responsible for any restoration and monitoring of the state of conservation of the altarpiece.

State of conservation

As a result of a now inactive termite attack, there were some specific areas of the base material that were extremely weak. Overall, there were decorative elements that were inappropriately anchored which endangered the stability of the piece.

The surface layer was the most problematic area. An accumulation of dust, dirt and animal excrement was a major source of rot, infestation and moisture. Beneath this surface dirt was a layer of very rusty varnish, along with remnants of wax. All this meant that the altarpiece could not be appreciated in all its splendour.

Intervention

During October 2014, the first phase of action began, in which the polychrome was affixed using vinyl resin. An initial clean of the surface dust was then carried out with brushes and vacuum cleaners, and this was followed by a chemical clean. An aqueous solution with a pH of 5.5 was used along with an oil emulsion for the gilding. Subsequently, work was carried out to consolidate, fix and reinforce the base material.

During the cleaning process, varnish removal tests were performed, and samples of the polychrome and surface layers of the altarpiece were taken. The analysis detected the presence of alkyd resin, beeswax and acrylic resin, all three layers applied one on top of the other.

The most important discovery was that all the skin tones had been repainted so the original polychrome was covered. For this reason a second intervention was begun in the following months.

Close-up of one of the panels during cleaning Cleaning process Close-up of the estofado on the dresses of the Virgin Mary after the intervention

Restoration

Maria Veronica Natoli, Natàlia Nogueras, Gemma Planas, Laia Roca and Idoia Tantull. Interns: Marzia Projetto and Ana Ureta

Lighting plans

Intervento

Years of restoration

2014-2015

General image of the altarpiece before the intervention

In the second phase, the intervention focused on cleaning the polychrome: removal of the varnish, the layers of dirt and wax in between, and the re-creating the polychrome of the skin tones.

The usual tests were performed following the CRBMC’s cleaning methodology, and a mixture of three solvents in equal proportions was applied using cotton poultices. In some cases, the oil layer of the repainting was so thick and hard that it had to be mechanically cleaned using a scalpel.

To remove the wax residue between the layers of varnish and the dirt, a hot air micro-blower was used, with a hydrocarbonsoaked swab.

As the cleaning progressed, it became clear that most of the original polychrome was in good condition, except for the main sculptures of the saints and angels, where it was heavily worn away and burned in places.

The fabric on the door that encloses the monstrance, in the predella of the altarpiece, was in very good condition in terms of base material and polychrome. The varnish was cleaned and a new layer applied with a low molecular weight product.

Once the whole process of cleaning the altarpiece was finished, it was decided that approach to the final presentation would respect the original as much as possible. First, the reliefs and sculptures were given a protective layer with a low-concentration acrylic resin, and a chromatic reintegration was carried out with watercolours. The principle of creating an illusion was combined with the use of neutral ink, depending on the type of loss of material in question. To finish, a final layer of protection was applied with a flat brush, using the same acrylic resin mentioned above, over the whole altarpiece.

As a complementary project to the restoration, it was decided that the entire lighting system of the altarpiece would be renovated with a system of LED lights. This now provides a uniform lighting and also avoids overheating of the altarpiece and reduces energy costs.

— Natàlia Sánchez and Alícia Santomà

Image of the altarpiece with scaffolding

Material/Technique

Carving and oil painting, tempera and gilding

Topic

Altarpiece of Sant Andreu

Author

Sculpture and architecture: Gaspar Huguet and Joan Aragall. Painting, gilding and polychrome: Joan Baptista Toscano, 1583-1612

Date

1583-1612

Dimensions

13.15 × 7.50 × 1 m

Location

Parish church of Sant Andreu,

CRBMC Coordination

Josep Paret (management)

Restoration

CRBMC workshops: Vicky Homedes and Glòria Flinch. In situ: Jesús Zornoza (team leader), Cira Castells, Pau Claramonte, Pep Miret (wooden support), Oriol Mora, Gemma Planas, Natàlia Sánchez, Alícia Santomà and Montserrat Xirau. Intern: Miquel Ribas

Carpentry support CRBMC

Carmelo Ortega

Years of restoration

2009-2012

The Mannerism style Sant Andreu altarpiece is one of the most important of its time still preserved in Catalonia. Construction started in 1583 at the hands of Gaspar Huguet. When he died in 1585, he was replaced by Joan Aragall, who finished his work in 1594. The polychrome was later added the Milanese painter Joan Baptista Toscano, who completed it in 1612.

The piece comes from the old parish church of Sant Andreu de Llavaneres. During the Spanish Civil War, the altarpiece suffered damage, including the disappearance of some elements and carvings, and above all the loss of the entire base. These alterations can be seen in photos from the archive. Later, and prior to 1944, a new marble base was created and the paintings of the four evangelists were commissioned to Lluís Masriera.

The altarpiece is made of poplar wood and is structured around a grid of entablatures and columns. This grid contains adjoined niches, with sculptures interspersed with panels.

The sculptures are made of cypress and poplar wood, and the skin tones are painted in oil. As for the polychrome, it contains decorative Mannerist motifs laden with decorations

Photograph of the panel Martyrdom of Saint Andrew with UV light

 Photograph from 1936. General view of the altarpiece before the Spanish Civil War

© Arxiu Fotogràfic Mas Photograph of the panel Martyrdom of Saint Andrew with IR light

of grotesque reliefs, with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic elements, and metamorphosed beings. The whole altarpiece is gilded with fine burnished gold applied over red bole. The piece is also layered with sgraffiti, shellac and tempera decorations applied with a brush. The most delicate and exuberant decorations are found in the carvings, especially that of Saint Andrew, with estofado plant motifs on sgraffitoed shellac and a magnificent cloak with all kinds of miniature details, with fantastic animals, plant motifs, angels in relief moulding and enriched with a wide range of colours.

State of conservation

There was a lot of dirt and a lot of mouse droppings on the back of the altarpiece. It was full of holes made by xylophagous insects but only recent ones on the cornice of the upper entablature.

Due to some form of flame or high temperature, the polychrome was had blistered in places. Despite this, however, the different layers were well adhered to each other. The pictorial layer was covered in dust and dirt. The surface showed signs of wear all over, caused by very abrasive cleaning processes carried out with water and scourers, which had eroded the gold leaf and had even worn some sculptures down to the preparation layer. In general, the wear and tear was significant, resulting in the loss of glazes of the skin tones and details such as eyebrows and eyelashes.

Unlike the sculptural elements of the altarpiece, the panels were varnished. This yellowing varnish had been applied unevenly and drips had formed. The predella had been completely repainted with purpurin, which had already oxidized, applied with the intention of hiding very worn areas.

Intervention

First, the dirt on the back of the altarpiece was vacuumed and a hydro-alcoholic cleaning of the wood was, carried out. The entire surface of the non-polychromed wood was disinfested by impregnation. A low concentration acrylic resin was then applied and all of the lighting material, wiring, and nails from the back were removed.

On the front, the dust was removed with paintbrushes and vacuum cleaners, and it was disinfested using a syringe in parts. The panels restored at the CRBMC underwent and anoxic disinfestation treatment. As for the pictorial layer, an aqueous cleaning system was first applied followed by another using gelled solvents, in order to remove the varnishes from the panels, as well as the purpurin from the predella. The entire surface of the altarpiece was cleaned with a W/O emulsion and the tempera was cleaned with a rubber eraser.

The chromatic reintegration was carried out using watercolours and a final protective layer was applied to the whole piece in the form of a low molecular weight varnish.

— Jesús Zornoza

 Back of a panel before the restoration

 Close-up of the construction technique of the panels: reinforcement of the posts with crossbars with dovetail rabbet

Material/Technique

Polychrome wood carving, oil, tempera and gilding

Description

Altarpiece of Sant Sadurní

Author

Unknown. It is attributed to Segimon Pujol, although there is no written reference to it at the time

Date/Period

Sculpture: 1714. Gilding and polychrome: 1727

Location

High altar of the church of Sant Sadurní, Malanyeu (la Nou de Berguedà, Berguedà county)

CRBMC Register NO

10647

Coordination Josep Paret

Restoration

Koro Abalia, Imma Amorós, Eulàlia Aragonés, Claustre Augé and Rosaura Janó (Kreit-restauro, SL)

The altarpiece of Sant Sadurní was created between 1714 and 1724, as can be seen in two inscriptions on the altarpiece. The authorship is attributed to Segimon Pujol, although there is no written reference from the period.

During the Spanish Civil War, the altarpiece was taken down from the church in Malanyeu. During this process, some parts were ripped up, many were lost and others were severely damaged, with mutilations. Later, Father Manuel Serra Cirera and the people of the village recovered all the pieces they could and reassembled it. In order to do so, they had to replace the missing parts, and the solution they used was to replace these with parts from other altarpieces and put all the pieces together, even if it was not in the proper place.

State of conservation

The first thing we noticed was how the element were haphazardly arranged. Original pieces had been placed in areas that did not correspond to them, such as the date of the gilding, located on the side of one of the niches and positioned vertically. But the most serious damage was not visible, it came to light during the disassembly. It was found to be in a very poor state of conservation. The base material showed serious damage from xylophagous insects that had caused the internal weakening of the wood. This was extreme in some parts, where only a superficial layer of polychrome was preserved; the inside was all dusty, so it hadn’t lost its supporting function.

Intervention

The conservation-restoration process began with its transfer to the CRBMC. Once there, it was disinfested in the anoxic chamber. It was then consolidated and reconstructed volumetrically using various methods: glass microspheres, epoxy mastic resin, and cedarwood grafts.

One of the most complex parts of the intervention was working out the correct order for all the elements and determining those that did not belong to the altarpiece. The whole left side was a jumble of pieces. We had to disassemble all the elements and group them so they could be analysed. For the reconstruction, we had the right corner of the altarpiece as a starting point.

The lost or non-original structural elements, such as the tiers or niche panels, were reconstructed with cedarwood. However, to fit in the elements for the ornamental parts of the canopy and the left medallion, we needed a rigid and, at the same time, light base material. It was decided that two panels would be built with plywood, with the profile taken from the same symmetrical element of the right corner.

The chromatic reconstruction of the new panels was done with a digital image transfer technique. This consists of sticking on a vinyl print with a photographic reproduction taken from the symmetrical area of altarpiece itself. This involves a special solvent-free, neutral-pH PVC vinyl. The original elements recovered from the altarpiece are placed on top of these images. This system allows for a uniform reading of the whole piece, and at the same time helps easily identify nonoriginal parts, since it is a contemporary technique and also easily reversible.

— Kreit-restauro, SL

Items for classifying and putting back in the right place Digital image transfer

Left medallion before the intervention

Material/Technique

Altarpiece: polychrome wood carving in tempera, gilding, estofado and oil painting for the skin tones. Central scene: oil painting on canvas

Title/Topic

Altarpiece of Sant Bartomeu

Author

Carving: attributed to Francesc Santacruz i Artigues (documented

Date/Period

1672: the central part of the entablature shows the date on which it was polychromed

Dimensions

6.20 × 7.75 × 0.62 m. Central canvas: 2.50 × 1.60 m

Location

Chapel of Sant Bartomeu in the church of the monastery of Sant Cugat del Vallès (Vallès Occidental county)

The baroque altarpiece of Sant Bartomeu is of the type that was made from one body with a large central scene, in this case, a large canvas (2.50 × 1.60 m) depicting the martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew. All the elements (canopy, panels and columns) are distributed symmetrically with the representations of the saints. The piece is preserved almost intact, only the small carving of Saint Hermenegild does not seem to belong to the altarpiece. There is no altar, and the entire lower part of the altarpiece was modified in a previous modern-day intervention, with new elements in the central and right part of the base, such as the angel which replaced the lost original.

State of conservation

A severe termite attack detected at the bottom meant that the piece had to be disassembled so the conservation-restoration intervention could be carried out in the CRBMC’s workshops. This was done in two phases: first, work was carried out on the support and the oil-painted canvas was restored; the second phase consisted of treating the altarpiece’s polychrome.

Intervention

The dismantling of the altarpiece made it possible to attribute the authorship of the central painting to Miquel March (1633-1670), a Valencian artist who belonged to the Ribalta workshop. This attribution was possible thanks to the inscription found on the back of the canvas, Miquel March me fecit, and the visible signature after the polychrome had been restored.

The canvas provides important information about the work and the period in which it was created, since it has never been restored: the original frame, the nails that attach the canvas to the frame, the way they are nailed, the seams of the canvas, its inscriptions... The conservative restoration criteria that was followed focused on respecting these characteristics and improving their readability. The perimeter of the canvas was reinforced in the places where the nails were located, without taking them out. The tears were restitched thread by thread. Once the canvas had been reinforced, the pictorial layer was attached and cleaned. Directional hatching was used to reintegrate the faces, with the engraving by Josep de Ribera used as a reference, since Miquel March literally copied the scene.

The second phase of the intervention involved attaching, cleaning and reintegrating the polychrome of the sculptural elements. Of note was the discolouration of the gilding.

The polychrome was covered with a very dark surface layer caused by pollutants, and also by the presence of a very altered synthetic resin, applied during a previous intervention. After an initial aqueous cleaning process, it was then cleaned again using gelled solvents, allowing a longer application and, at the same time, decreasing the penetration of the product.

The varnish for the whole piece was made using a long-lasting low molecular weight resin, except for three of the elements of the altarpiece, which were varnished with an acrylic resin. Working at the CRBMC facilities enabled us to study how these two resins age within the same piece and environmental context.

— Kreit-restauro, SL

Close-up of Saint Luke before and after the restoration

Restoration of the polychrome

Koro Abalia, Imma Amorós, Eulàlia Aragonés, Claustre Augé, Rosaura Janó and Eulàlia Soler

Restoration of the support

Voravit Roonthiva (team leader), Pau Claramonte, Marta Estadella, and the collaboration of the interns Cira Castells, Laia Roca and Idoia Tantull

Disassembly

Pep Paret (CRBMC) and Voravit Roonthiva (team leader). Koro Abalia, Imma Amorós, Claustre

Assembly

Pep Paret (CRBMC team leader) with Oriol Mora and Idoia Tantull and Roser Bonfill, Sílvia Corona and Raul Gámiz (interns at the College of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets of Catalonia)

Carpentry-woodwork

Carmelo Ortega (CRBMC)

Years of restoration

2010-2012

Altarpiece once restored and assembled in situ

Material/Technique

Carved and polychromed wood. Oil, tempera and gilding

Title/Topic

Altarpiece of Sant John the Evangelist

Author

Unknown

Origin

Church of the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Santes Creus, Aiguamúrcia (Alt Camp county)

Location

At the foot of the central nave, on the left side of the church

The layout of the altarpiece follows the principle of axial symmetry. In the upper body, a triangular pediment with the image of God the Father crowns the whole piece. Below is an entablature and the central body with a panel in which the eponymous saint is depicted, framed by pillars and columns, and ending in the middle of the predella; this is divided into three compartments by golden pillars showing various scenes from the life of Christ.

The altarpiece is decorated in a classical style, with a typically Renaissance repertoire which can be seen in the columns of fluted wood, Corinthian capitals and the entablature. This whole structure is adorned with a series of sculptural elements of pagan origin and decorative elements of classical origin, such as floral garlands and volutes.

State of conservation

The work had suffered several processes of deterioration that affected all layers: the support had problems of stability, weakening and significant loss of material, caused by the widespread attack of xylophagous insects. The preparation and painting layers were also damaged, which in this case was mainly due to high humidity and water leaks.

Intervention

The intervention began with the disassembly and transfer of the piece to the CRBMC facilities, so it could be disinfested. The work had significant accumulations of dirt on the back, which, together with the poor environmental conditions, had favoured the proliferation of organisms that had damaged the wood and endangered the stability of the altarpiece.

After the photographic analysis carried out prior to the intervention, the conservation-restoration process began with a disinfestation treatment, which combined curative measures and preventive ones.

The next step was to consolidate the wood damaged by insects, especially that of the architectural structure of the entablature and of the bases of the altarpiece; in the latter case, the weakening of the support endangered the solidity of the piece. The intervention consisted of the cleaning up the material that no longer exercised any function and then consolidating the weakened parts; once it had regained some stability, it was reinforced with wooden grafts.

With regard to the painting, the intervention focused on fixing the uplifted parts —both in the preparation and pictorial layers— followed by a laborious phase of cleaning, using various methods following the CRBMC protocol.

Finally, for the presentation system, the painting was touched up using watercolours —following the principle of minimum intervention— in order to minimize the existing losses. Subsequently, a layer of varnish was applied, to saturate the colours.

Once the restoration work on the CRBMC was completed, the altarpiece was moved back to the monastery and mounted on the wall on an anodized aluminium structure. This keeps it separated from the wall and making it easier to monitor its state of conservation. In addition, to strengthen the protection, the back was protected with an inert non-woven fabric, to mitigate the effects of changes in temperature and protect it from pollutants.

— Lourdes Domedel and Núria Lladó

Central panel depicting Sant John the Evangelist before the intervention

Restoration

Lourdes Domedel and Núria Lladó (team leaders) and Jesús Zornoza (structural reinforcements)

Disassembly

Pep Paret (CRBMC), Laia Roca and Idoia Tantull

Final aspect of the altarpiece, in situ, after the intervention

Material/Technique

Wood carving with oil paint polychrome

Title/Topic

Crucified Christ

Author

Father Umile da Petralia (Giovan Francesco Pitorno, Petralia Soprana, 1600 - Palermo, 1639)

Date/Period

1635

Location

Church of the convent of the Immaculate Conception of Tortosa (Baix Ebre county)

CRBMC Register NO

11684

Restoration

Lourdes Domedel and Núria Lladó

Year of restoration

2012

The crucified Christ of the convent of the Immaculate Conception of Tortosa is a devotional image from the Baroque period, of Italian origin, brought to Barcelona by the Bishop of Tortosa, Joan Bautista Veschi.

The sculptor of the carving was the Franciscan friar Umile da Petralia (Giovan Francesco Pitorno), who made the carving in 1635 in Palermo, as shown in the inscription found on the back of the perizoma.

The realism of the carving is surely one of the most characteristic features of this sculpture, made from poplar wood, with an anatomically naturalistic yet very dramatic figuration: the expression on the face is one of agony and the pictorial layer contains sensationalist elements such as torn flesh, made from parchment, and a great deal of gushing blood, created using resin wax and molten glass.

State of conservation

The underlying wood had suffered the damage typical of this material including the attack of xylophagous insects, cracks and the separation of some joints, the result of expansion and contraction due to the variations of the environmental conditions. The preparation and polychrome layers contained some uplifting and small losses. The pictorial layer was conditioned by a coloured resin, not original, which obscured it and mitigated the deathly appearance.

Intervention

The intervention consisted of a complete study of the work using various analysis techniques that revealed the composition of the materials and the construction system of the piece. Complementary to the examination of the carving, the original appearance of the polychrome was discovered after opening a series of “windows” on the back.

Work continued with several processes aimed mainly at preserving the piece as a whole. First, the carving was subjected to a disinfestation treatment, which combined curative measures (anoxia) with preventive ones. Then the small fragments of disintegrated wood were consolidated, and, subsequently, volumetrically reconstructed. The treatment of the pictorial layer focused, on the one hand, on reattaching the uplifted parts of both the preparation and the polychrome, and, on the other, on removing the surface dirt from the image mechanically and by applying a buffered solution.

One of the most important results of the work was discovering what the polychrome would have originally looked like and its great historical and artistic value. The artist used a mixed painting technique, with a base of glue tempera, and later worked with pigments bound with an oil direr; this achieved a light-toned complexion, combined with purple spots to depict bruises and red drips of blood.

In summary, the intervention approach was distinctly conservative.

— Lourdes Domedel and Núria Lladó

Back of the sculpture with the windows open to reveal the original polychrome

Material/Technique

Polychrome wood carving, oil, tempera and gilding, with estofado

Title/Topic

Altarpiece of Sant Llorenç

Author

Sculptor: Joan Francesc Morató (Vic, 1656-1714). Gilding: Miquel Pernau

Date/Period

Manufacture and carving: 1713.

Location

High altar of the parish church of Sant Llorenç de Morunys (Solsonès county)

CRBMC Register NO

11880

Restoration

Koro Abalia, Imma Amorós, Eulàlia Aragonés, Claustre Augé and Rosaura Janó (Kreit-restauro, SL)

The altarpiece, with a linear layout, is structured on two levels raised on a wide base and three panels, with four large Solomonic columns three metres high.

The style of the altarpiece is distinctly baroque and it is richly decorated. It contains three scenes in relief from the life of the Virgin Mary which stand out for the high quality of the carving and the great pictorial technique.

State of conservation

The damage caused in 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, affected the entire altarpiece. As a result, the second level, all the imagery of the saints, one of the medallions on the first level, which represented the flight into Egypt, as well as the altar table, the tiers and the interior of the three niches, had completely disappeared.

It is made using various pictorial techniques: oil, tempera, water gilding and estofado. The good technique used in its execution is obvious because there were no uplifted or lost parts of the pictorial layer.

The smoke from candles, the embedded dust, and the remains of wax had darkened and altered the chromatic appearance of the gilding and polychrome.

Intervention

First, the polychrome panels from the later period, nailed to the back of the altarpiece, were removed due to a severe infestation of xylophagous insects. These were restored and returned to the church separately from the baroque piece. The entire wooden surface of the back of the altarpiece was then disinfested and consolidated. For the cleaning, the different painting techniques were taken into account. The polychrome was quite clearly covered in overlapping layers of dirt and varnish from different periods. After several tests, it was decided that a polar solvent gel should be used. Using solvents in gel allows for a longer application and, at the same time, decreases their penetration.

Once the cleaning process was complete, the whole work was varnished using a low molecular weight resin, to ensure the stability, reversibility and durability of the product.

The small losses of polychrome all over the altarpiece, which left the preparation layer exposed, were painted over with a neutral ink made with watercolours. The largest gaps, found in the angels on the doors, were filled in with putty and reintegrated with the idea of creating an illusion.

Since the altarpiece had suffered significant structural losses, a volumetric reconstruction of the niches and tiers was proposed, simplifying the elements as much as possible. The new niches were attached to the existing parts, and the tiers were made with a single wooden panel, using simple mouldings to reflect the different steps. Pinewood was used, which was then dyed in a shade that enabled integration with the piece as a whole. The altar table was mimicked with a maroon domed fabric frontal, pulled tight on a frame and fastened with magnets to the altar structure. Finally, a local carpenter, using an old photo as reference, sculpted The Flight into Egypt scene on a block of Flemish pinewood.

— Kreit-restauro, SL

Relief with the scene Nativity of the Virgin Mary before and after the intervention

Altarpiece in situ after the intervention

Material/Technique

Tempera paint, stucco reliefs and metal leaf with mecca gilding

Title/Topic

Maiestas Domini and the life of Saint Stephen

Author

Unknown

Date/Period

Second half of the 12th century

CRBMC Register NO

11902

Coordination Josep Paret

Restoration

Glòria Flinch and Victòria Homedes

Assembly

Josep Paret

Year of restoration

2013

Altar frontal from the Ripoll workshop. Made with wild pinewood. The composition is based on an iconographic model of goldsmithing, which incorporates stucco reliefs and metal leaf, and incisions can be seen in its composition. In the centre is the Maiestas Domini surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists, and in the side compartments, scenes from the life of Saint Stephen.

The board consists of six posts, with the joints reinforced with glued fabric. The structure is attached to a wooden strainer or frame that contains a decorative strip with geometric motifs. Several inscriptions in Latin describe the legend of the saint.

State of conservation

It was in a poor state of conservation. The base and the pictorial layer showed damage from a biological attack, separation of the posts, a lifting of the lining and a loss of support along the entire length of the frame and board. The whole of the pictorial layer had darkened due to the ageing of the materials, and the metal leaf of the background coating had oxidized and been lost in parts. This layer showed alterations, losses, uplifts, oxidation, stains, concretions, wax and scratches, as well as burns and blisters due to the heat of the candles in the area of the mandorla. The surface layer was incrusted with dust and organic remains.

By examining the board with infrared reflectography, the underlying drawing could be seen with perfect sharpness and accuracy.

Intervention

The conservation-restoration process began with an anoxic disinfestation treatment and with the consolidation of the base. The inorganic substrate that was stuck to the surface layer was then removed; the various uplifted areas of the pictorial layer, of the preparation layer and the lining were stuck back down; the organic concretions were removed, and the pictorial layer was cleaned, following the CRBMC’s cleaning protocol. A second mechanical cleaning with a scalpel was then carried out on the most hard-to-clean parts, and the wax was removed by applying heat.

For the final presentation, the gaps were filled in with traditional putty and coloured wax was applied in the holes produced by the xylophagous insects. Cracks and old keyholes were volumetrically reintegrated, and finally, with regard to the chromatic reintegration system, a general archaeological approach was followed, using watercolours.

In conclusion, it can be said that this process has recovered the readability in terms of the iconography of the board and the different layers of the work have been stabilized, always respecting the effects of the passage of time.

— Glòria Flinch and Victòria Homedes

Photograph taken with infrared reflectography, showing the preliminary drawing

The altar frontal after its intervention

The altar frontal before its intervention

Material/Technique

Polychromed wood carving

Title/Topic

Virgin of Almatà

Author

Attributed to the Master of Anglesola

Date/Period

1300 approximately

Origin

Church of the convent of the Order of Saint Clare of the sanctuary of Sant Crist de Balaguer (Noguera county)

Location

Sanctuary of Sant Crist de Balaguer (Noguera county)

CRBMC Register NO

12095

The Virgin of Almatà, revered since medieval times in the church of Santa Maria d’Almatà, today the sanctuary of Sant Crist de Balaguer, is a small polychrome wood carving. Its authorship has been attributed to the circle of the master of Anglesola. As for the origin of this image, a popular tradition claims that the count of Urgell would take it into battle. Bearing in mind this traditional belief, together with very specific physical aspects of the carving, such as its small format and the iron rod that protrudes from the base, it is possible that. originally, this Virgin may have been part of a portable chapel of devotion. This image has always been traditionally linked with the house of Urgell, and given the ascribed timeline, everything seems to indicate that it could have been a donation made by Ermengol x, Count of Urgell, to the church of Santa Maria d’Almatà.

State of conservation

The image’s poor state of conservation meant that it had to undergo a conservation-restoration process. The base material had suffered severe damage from xylophagous insects, which would explain the loss of the right arm of the baby Jesus and the Virgin. The damage to the base material inherently affected the preservation of the polychrome. It is worth noting how much of the polychrome was actually preserved, although in some cases it had been repainted. The scientific study of polychrome allowed us to determine that, in all probability, the technique used was oil.

Intervention

The conservation-restoration process was divided into two phases differentiated by the types of treatment: the first, aimed at consolidating and stabilizing the base material, and the second, at consolidating and cleaning the polychrome. Several treatments were applied to the base material. It was first disinfested. Then it was consolidated by injecting acrylic resin into the passageways created by the xylophagous insects, and the existing holes and cracks were subsequently filled in with an epoxy-based putty.

In terms of polychrome, the cleaning treatment focused, first, on mechanically removing the wax residues stuck to the surface with the help of a scalpel. Subsequently, and after performing the CRBMC’s mandatory cleaning test, the most resistant dirt and repainted parts were removed with an emulsion. This intervention made it possible to recover the splendour and beauty of the original polychrome.

Once the conservation-restoration process had been completed, the Virgin has returned for worship at the sanctuary of Sant Crist de Balaguer, protected by a specially created display case to guarantee its conservation and safety.

— Ramon Solé

 Mechanical cleaning of the base  X-ray of the sculpture

Year of restoration

2013

Appearance of the Virgin of Almatà once restored The carving of the Virgin of Almatà before the conservationrestoration process

Material/Technique

Carved and polychromed wood. Tempera, oil and gilding

Title/Topic

Our Lady of the Rosary from the Our Lady of the Rosary altarpiece

Author

Attributed to Pau Sunyer (Manresa,? - 1694)

Location

Church of Sant Ponç, Prades de la Molsosa (Solsonès county)

CRBMC Register NO

12227.16

Coordination Pep Paret

Restoration

Kreit-restauro, SL

The Our Lady of the Rosary is part of the Our Lady of the Rosary baroque altarpiece located in the parish church of Prades de la Molsosa, which houses a set of three baroque altarpieces from the mid-17th century. The polychrome carving presides over the central niche of the altarpiece, complete with painted scenes of the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. An intervention in modern times coated it with a flat polychrome, in shades of pink and blue, and a golden purpurin that gave it the appearance of an image from a more recent era.

The carving arrived at the CRBMC in June 2014 along with the Our Lady of the Rosary altarpiece. The altarpiece was restored and reassembled in the church in April 2015, and in the same month the restoration of the Virgin Mary began.

State of conservation

The first step in this intervention involved an investigative study of the original polychrome. X-rays and analyses were carried out, and windows were opened at different points on the pictorial surface. This revealed the existence of a baroque polychrome that was preserved in good condition. Recent applications of putty were also detected, suggesting that we would also find losses of polychrome.

The X-ray showed that the painting was cracked, with some losses in the area of the Virgin Mary’s face. This information was significant in that it revealed the existence of an original skin tone that was worth recovering. As a result of all the analyses, it was decided that the repainted areas would be removed.

The process confirmed that there were two repainted layers from different eras. Between the two, a putty was found that covered much of the original polychrome and in some areas even gave it a different volume.

Intervention

The conservation intervention consisted, first of all, in the disinfestation of the carving and in the reattachment of the polychrome.

Next, the restoration work consisted of removing the entire repainted layer. It is worth noting that the piece still contained 80% of its original polychrome. To remove the repainted layer, a gelled solvent was used, and to remove the putty that covered the original polychrome, it was softened with a gelled aqueous medium and removed mechanically with the scalpel.

This enabled the recovery of a baroque polychrome very different from the flat toned painting initially visible. The recovered polychrome is of a very different quality.

The final display of the image followed the principle of creating an illusion. It is a Virgin Mary used for worship, and for this reason we wanted to give continuity to its appearance, following the original model of polychrome.

— Kreit-restauro, SL

During the process of removing the repainting of the Virgin’s face

The carving before the conservationrestoration intervention

The Virgin Mary after the restoration

The Our Lady of the Rosary Virgin in its proper position inside the altarpiece, once restored

Material/Technique Tempera on wood

Title/Topic

Tabernacle altarpiece

Author

Unknown

Date/Period

14th century

Dimensions

173 × 77 × 55 cm

Restoration

M. José Gracia and M. Àngels Marsé (TdART Heritage Curators SL) and Ana del Árbol

Assembly

Mireia Campanyà, M. José Gracia (TdART), Pau Majó and Oriol Ribas (Norcan Hispánica)

Years of restoration

2014, 2016 and 2017

This work was discovered in 2014 during the cleaning of the old granaries of the church of Santa Maria de Cap d’Aran.

State of conservation

Overall the work was in a very poor state of conservation. The preserved wooden elements showed damage from xylophagous insects, losses of the base material, cracks and fissures, and structural elements such as crossbars and panels were missing.

The preparation and pictorial layers were in a poor state of conservation, with uplifts and loss of cohesion with the wooden base, dust and a lot of dirt. There were traces of earth and organic elements.

The analyses carried out made it possible to identify the type of wood and some of the materials used in its construction. Two types of wood were identified: linden, for the ornamental elements, and pine, for the structural panels. The pictorial layer is a tempera with a protein-based binder and silver gilding on one of the panels.

Intervention

The restoration process, carried out in 2014 thanks to a grant from the Catalan Ministry of Culture, consisted of fixing, consolidating and cleaning the preserved fragments.

As the restoration progressed, the hypothesis that this was not a canopy started to gain weight. During December 2014, historians Elisa Ros and Albert Velasco travelled to the CRBMC to share their doubts, cross-check against other references, and try to establish a more solid hypothesis. By the end of the day, it had become clear that we were dealing with a larger work than initially thought, and that it was not a canopy. We discovered that we were possibly dealing with the exceptional remains of a type of altarpiece of which very few examples are preserved: a 14th century tabernacle altarpiece. This hypothesis was later confirmed by the Norwegian historian Elisabeth Andersen, a specialist in this type of altarpiece, who provided similar examples from northern Europe.

This led to a redesign of the entire presentation system for the remains. A photogrammetric survey was carried out of each piece and several scale models were created, and using an image processing programme, a 3D model of the altarpiece was obtained, combining the original pieces and an approximation of the missing pieces.

The task of rebuilding the altarpiece, from which Mireia Campanya was responsible, was long and complicated. So as not to end up with a false historical artefact it was decided that the new wood used would be left raw. No new holes were made in the original, taking advantage of the existing holes. To support the doors, a special support and hinges were made to measure. With the system designed by the conservators-restorers and the technicians of Norcan Hispánica, all the weight of support, the load and the distribution of stress is borne by the new metal structure.

Finally, after almost eight months of reassembly work and three years since the restoration work began, the altarpiece was able to return to the church, where it can be visited today.

— M. José Gracia and M. Àngels Marsé (TdART Heritage Curators SL)

 The set of pieces as displayed after the intervention in 2014

 The piece with the doors closed, after the latest restoration

The tabernacle altarpiece with the doors open, after the latest restoration

Material/Technique

Polychromed and gilded wood carving

Title/Topic

Altarpiece of La Pietat

Author

Sculptor: Jeroni Xanxo (1548-1550). Polychrome and gilding: Antoni Peitaví (1573-1574)

Date/Period 1548-1574

Origin

High altarpiece of the church of La Pietat, la Seu d’Urgell (Alt Urgell county)

Location

Diocesan Museum of Urgell, Seu d’Urgell (Alt Urgell county)

CRBMC Register NO

12486

Restoration

Gemma Planas, Natàlia Sánchez and Alícia Santomà

The altarpiece of La Pietat represents a legacy of great cultural, artistic and historical value, as it is one of the few Renaissance sculpted altarpieces from the mid-16th century preserved in Catalonia. Located in the apse of the central nave of the church of La Pietat, it is part of the exhibition space of the Diocesan Museum of Urgell.

The altarpiece was entrusted to the Barcelona sculptor Jeroni Xanxo by the community of presbyters of La Pietat, for the chapel of the same name in the cathedral of Santa Maria d’Urgell. The pictorial decoration is the work of the painter Antoni Peitaví, from Toulouse. It is a Plateresque work, in which the exuberant decoration typical of this style stands out. It should be noted that parchment has been found in the wounds of the Christ of the Pity, which is significant because there are no other known cases of sculptures from the 16th century or earlier in which this has been preserved.

State of conservation

The whole altarpiece had damage typical of an object of worship that has received continuous use over time. Interventions from different eras were detected: nails, added elements, restoration of decorative elements and repainted areas.

The wood support did not show any serious structural problems, although decorative elements had been lost and there were pieces that had come loose, due to dried-out glues or poor attachment systems. In general, the wood contained some cracks typical of the material. No active xylophagous attack was detected, although some added elements had suffered this sort of damage in the past. Some parts of the preparation, polychrome and gilding layers had gaps, especially in the reliefs, and there was also some localized uplifting. There were also areas where the polychrome and/or gilding had worn away and eroded, possibly due to the abrasive cleaning of previous interventions.

The surface layer was covered in polymerized dirt, causing an overall blackening of the work which was very prominent in the case of the skin tones. This made it difficult to read the scenes and gave the altarpiece a dull and uniform appearance, which affected the aesthetic value of the work.

Intervention

In mid-July 2015, the altarpiece was disassembled for transport to the CRBMC.

Once at the CRBMC, the altarpiece was put inside the anoxic chamber for disinfestation as a curative measure.

Next, the uplifted parts of the preparation layer and the pictorial layer were affixed and a general mechanical cleaning was carried out with a flat brush and vacuum cleaner. As for the back of the altarpiece, it was chemically cleaned and the parts of the base and the steps were disinfested, by impregnating them with a curative and preventive product.

The consolidation and stabilization of the base material was done through two processes; first, with the adhesion of detached elements and the recovery of lost elements with a neutral pH adhesive and, in some cases, through a reinforcement using screws and brackets.

Close-up of the structure which shows its complexity Close-up of the parchment in one of the wounds the carving of Christ

Disassembly

Pep Paret (CRBMC), Gemma Planas, Natàlia Sánchez, Alícia Santomà. Assistance in the disassembly: Laia Duran, Marta Estadella and Zoraida Pérez (interns specializing in Sculpture and Painting on wood at the CRBMC)

Assembly

Pep Paret (CRBMC), Gemma Planas, Natàlia Sánchez, Alícia Santomà, Idoia Tantull and Carmelo Ortega (CRBMC carpentry)

Years of restoration

2015-2016

 General view of the altarpiece in the workshop during the restoration process

 Gilding cleaning process

Cleaning the skin tones on the Christ And second, following the criteria of minimum intervention, some structural losses were restored with wood grafts or a two-part epoxy resin.

Polychrome and gilding cleaning processes were carried out following the CRBMC cleaning protocols. The methodology combined the use of aqueous solutions and emulsions and, occasionally, a rubber eraser in powder form. For the repainted areas located on the panels of the base, gelled alcohol was used, and the marble areas uncovered on these panels were cleaned with an aqueous emulsion. Wax residue in the lower areas of the altarpiece was removed with a hot air blower and cotton impregnated with a hydrocarbon.

Once the cleaning was over, a chromatic reintegration process was undertaken based on the principle of minimal intervention. Localized gaps in gilding were unified with a neutral colour, while gaps in the skin tones were filled in with the idea of creating an illusion.

Finally, a protective layer was applied with a colourless and stable low molecular weight varnish.

In January 2016, the work was returned to its original location, where it was mounted on an anodized aluminium structure. This system allows the piece to be separated from the wall, so that there is a space for air to circulate between the wall and the altarpiece, which at the same time allows its state of conservation to be monitored.

— Gemma Planas, Natàlia Sánchez and Alícia Santomà

General photo of the gilding cleaning process

General photograph of the altarpiece restored and once placed in its location

Material/Technique

Carved wood, gilded with fine gold leaf, silver gilding and polychrome in oil

Title/Topic

Polygonal coffered ceiling with central fleurons. Four reliefs of angels with the shield of Saint

Date/Period 1526-1527

Dimensions

Ceiling: 4.90 × 9.90 m Reliefs: 60 × 120 × 15 cm

Location

Golden Chamber of the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona (Barcelonès county)

Ceiling and frieze of high artistic quality, which belongs to the Renaissance extension of the old Gothic building of the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya, carried out during the sixteenth century, specifically during the years 1526-1527. At a structural level, the roof is organized and divided into 136 moulded, octagonal, square and triangular coffers —polychromed during the last century with dark-coloured synthetic paint. Each of these small structures houses a golden decorative carving —fleuron— covered entirely in purpurin.

Their typologies vary according to the size of the coffer in which they are set; those in the octagonal coffers are larger and more complex, while the rest are simpler and smaller. The fleurons are fastened to the ceiling with a long piece of wrought iron embedded in the centre of the coffer. Some of these, repaired already in the 20th century, are attached to the wood with a long, thick screw.

The union of the ceiling with the wall is finished off with a wide moulded frieze; in the centre of each section are the four sculptural groups. Each relief consists of two full-bodied winged angels with lower phylactery, which hold in the centre the quartered shield of Saint George —red cross in the middle on a silver background. The polychrome consists of gold leaf film for the tunics, wings, hair and frame of the shield, combined with red mecca gilding for the cross of the shield and sleeves, and oil for the skin tones.

State of conservation

In view of the poor overall state of conservation of the reliefs, the holes caused by xylophagous insects, the numerous broken

Close-up of one of the ceiling fleurons after being taken down for restoration or half-detached pieces, and a layer of blackened and altered resin on the skin tones and gildings, in July 2018 it was decided that a conservation-restoration process would be carried out on the frieze in order to protect these sculptural pieces.

Intervention

In the course of this intervention, the wooden base was consolidated, glued and disinfested, and the layers superimposed on the gilding and the skin tones were removed. The cleaning processes were very successful, and much of the original colour was recovered. As usual, the intervention was completed with a chromatic reintegration in the skin tones that aimed at creating an illusion, and with a neutral tone in the rest of the work, plus the application of a final protective resin film.

During the work carried out on the reliefs, we had the opportunity to access the ceiling and carry out a series of examinations of the fleurons covered with purpurin. At the same time, a study of active xylophagous insects was carried out, using specialized techniques, with negative results. These tests revealed the existence, in all the pieces, of an underlying layer of gold leaf that should be recovered.

There were two types of fleurons: the new ones, restored during the 20th century and in excellent condition, and the original ones, in very poor condition. Since the internal disintegration of the wood was considerable, it was decided that the restoration of the fleurons would focus on two aspects: the consolidation of some of the pieces —gluing of fragments and reinforcement of the attachments— and the recovery of the original gilded polychrome —removal of the purpurin— with the restoration of the imposing appearance of the Renaissance ceiling at the time of its construction.

— Núria Lladó

Restoration

Núria Lladó (management), Gemma Planas, Clara Prats and Natàlia Sánchez

Year of restoration

2018

General image of the Golden Chamber after the intervention

Material/Technique

Carved riparian wood with oil polychrome

Title/Topic

Crucifixus dolorosus

Author

Unknown

Dimensions

244 × 154 × 47 cm (Christ) and 325.5 × 182.5 cm × 7 cm (cross)

Location

Apse of the church of Sant Antoni, Cervera (Segarra county)

CRBMC Register NO

13492

The Christ of Sant Antoni de Cervera is a round-bodied polychrome wood sculpture, chronologically situated in the Gothic period (14th century). The image corresponds to the iconographic category of the crucifixus dolorosus and evokes his sacrifice, as a symbol of redemption and the salvation of the human race.

It is a fully carved and polychromed sculpture, even on the back. Analysis of the piece has revealed that it is made from a large block of tree, hollowed out then finished at the back with a cover. The head, arms, one of the legs and some of the folds in the perizoma are attached to the torso with rivets. Meanwhile, the cross and the hands are newly constructed.

State of conservation

This large sculpture, which is still used as a figure for devotion even today and is the protagonist of the Cervera’s main festival has undergone various restoration attempts over the years; the most obvious is, without a doubt, the widespread darkening of the pictorial surface, which gave it a very uniform brown finish, which did not correspond to the original image of the crucifixus dolorosus and which also served to hide major losses and repairs.

Intervention

The intervention began with an analysis of the work, to reveal the scope of the various interventions it had undergone, on both a pictorial and a structural level. With the results obtained from the extensive photographic examination (including X-rays) and the analyses, a series of tests were carried out which revealed the existence of two pictorial layers (the oldest shows a very flat complexion of pink tones, with small, very old streams of blood), and provided information on the construction elements that had been modified. The sculpture had clearly been structurally mutilated, with losses of various pieces including both hands, the back of the head and part of the rear cover, which corresponded to the back of the figure of Christ.

The most difficult part of the restoration was the removal of the various layers of varnish, repairs and repainting parts that covered the last pictorial decoration of the figure of Christ, due to both its compositional diversity and the difference between the skin tone revealed and that on display before the restoration. This was the reason behind the decision to recover the level found below the outer layer, painted in a realistic style, with a light skin tone and various wounds with drops of blood and skin details. This was agreed with the Bishopric of Solsona and the parish, who own the artefact.

As the restoration operation advanced and the sculpture recovered its original shape (thanks to the removal of a large amount of putty) and colour, the possibility of replacing the hands with new ones was discussed. This decision was made with the collaboration and expertise of Francesca Español, who suggested a model to follow, in harmony with the era in which the sculpture was created. The result was a pair of slightly closed hands sculpted then attached to the figure and polychromed with a tone that matches the original.

— Lourdes Domedel

Image of the sculpture after the processes of cleaning, removal and filling in of gaps

Restoration

Lourdes Domedel (restoration); Núria Albalat (carving of the hands), and Carmelo Ortega (woodwork)

Years of restoration

2018-2019

Appearance of the sculpture before the intervention

Close-up of the back showing the test that was done to locate an underlying pictorial level, in which there are streams of blood that are older than those currently visible

Material/Technique

Carved, polychromed wood and gilding

Title/Topic

Expectation of the Virgin Mary

Author

Unknown

Location

Montserrat Museum, Monistrol de Montserrat (Bages county)

CRBMC Register NO

13625

Restoration

Olga Íñigo and M. Sagrario Usero

Year of restoration

2019

According to Josep C. Laplana, this carving arrived at the monastery of Montserrat in 1989, as a donation from Mr Pere Sansat i Maristany, who along with his wife Francesca Sanaüja i Mates, had a very close relationship for many years with the community of Montserrat.

The Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, dates back to 1490, and is an anonymous work probably made in northern Castile, at the end of the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. In it we see the influence of the Dutch naturalists along with the elements of the Italian Renaissance, a combination that at that time was common in northern Spain.

State of conservation

The Gothic carving of the Expectation of the Virgin Mary is a polychromed and gilded wooden carving. It was badly damaged, with significant losses of polychrome and gilding, as well as the base material. The sculpture had a thick, dense, widespread layer of protein-based binder and wax, which obscured the original polychrome, as well as various alterations that affected the correct aesthetic reading. This surface layer hid losses of up to 30%, both of the pictorial layer and the preparation layer.

Image before the intervention showing a thick layer of wax on the surface covering the polychrome and the losses of the sculpture The accumulation of dust, insects and other indeterminate materials in the nooks of the carving, together with the typical movements of a wooden base material, sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, had resulted in drying of the underlying layers and, consequently, uplifting in both the preparation and pictorial layers. In addition, the piece had suffered severe damage by xylophagous insects that caused the weakening and loss of parts of the base material.

Intervention

After undergoing the corresponding scientific and technical photographic examination —diffuse light, raking light, UV and IR—, the carving was subjected to an extensive study, based on physicochemical analyses, to determine the nature of the materials that comprise it. The results showed that it is a walnut wood carving. Regarding the polychrome and the gilding, the stratigraphical analysis revealed that, at the bottom of the cloak, an azurite blue pigment is located on a carbon black pigment, while for the dress and the cape there is a metal leaf applied on top the bole clay and a proteinbased binder. The following pigments were also identified: earth pigments (aluminosilicates), white lead and verdigris. These pigments are applied on two layers of protein-based binder preparation: the first consists of gypsum and the second, of gypsum hemihydrate.

With regard to the carving, and following the criteria of reversibility, compatibility and maximum respect for the work, the intervention continued first, with the disinfection and disinfestation of the Virgin Mary. Next, the pictorial layer, the preparation layer and the metal leaf were affixed with an animal glue. The uplifted areas were then flattened by applying heat and then cleaned mechanically. The structural consolidation of the support of the base of the carving and of the holes caused by the xylophagous insects was done with cedarwood sawdust.

The next step involved cleaning the surface layer of the carving, controlling the conductivity and the pH of the surface, following the criteria of the CRMBC protocols. Once cleaned, a first coat of varnish was applied to protect the original gilding and polychrome, followed by a traditional putty to fill in holes and gaps. The chromatic reintegration was done with watercolours through a system of differentiating the different points, using different glazes of colour applied by brush.

Finally, and as a final finish, the carving was varnished, with a flat brush, for a second time, to equalize the gloss, protect the touch-ups, unify the polychrome and gilding on the surface and recover the correct aesthetic reading of the carving.

General appearance of the Virgin Mary before the intervention Final appearance of the carving of the Virgin Mary. The intervention has revealed the remains of the original polychrome and gilding

Material/Technique

Polychrome wood carving in tempera, gilding, estofado, shellac, mecca gilding and oil painting

Title/Topic

Three altarpieces of the church in Colomers: altarpiece of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, altarpiece of the Sacred Heart and altarpiece of Our Lady of the Rosary (currently dedicated to the Our Lady of Fatima)

Date/Period

Altarpiece of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: 1775; altarpiece of the Sacred Heart: 18th century; altarpiece of Our Lady of the Rosary: 1738-1769

Dimensions

Altarpiece of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: 6.25 × 4 × 1.40 m; altarpiece of the Sacred Heart: 4.01 × 5.25 ×

The church of Santa Maria de Colomers preserves three baroque altarpieces in three side chapels, which were restored between 2012 and 2017. The conservation-restoration intervention was necessary because in 2011 a serious termite problem was detected that affected all the works, resulting in a risk of collapse and a systematic loss of polychrome. The first step involved the town council and parish contracting a company specializing in the treatment and eradication of termites.

State of conservation

In addition to this pathology, the altarpieces suffered alterations, such as the attack of other xylophagous insects, cracks and detached and broken elements. The most obvious were the loss of the base material that affected various elements, both structural and decorative. As for the pictorial layer, some uplifts and losses were discovered in parts. At the surface level, there was a lot of dust that masked the overall look: splashes of bat urine on the polychrome, nests, droppings, and animal remains. Previous interventions included the repainting of the altarpiece of our Lady of the Rosary, the reconstruction of almost the entire base of the altarpiece of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the use of a plywood sheet, MDF panels and fabrics to cover the holes caused by lost elements.

Intervention

The conservation-restoration intervention focused on ensuring the structural stability of the pieces, recovering the original aesthetics and improving the readability of the large loss of base material.

In the case of the altarpiece of the Sacred Heart, the loss of base material was so significant and so difficult to access that, in order to consolidate it properly, it had to be dismantled and moved to the CRBMC facilities.

New presentation of the altar and the predella of the altarpiece of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This system allows easy access to the back to carry out preventive conservation controls The Our Lady of the Rosary altarpiece before the conservationrestoration work

Origin

Church of Santa Maria, Colomers (Baix Empordà county), except for the altarpiece of the Sacred Heart, which comes from the chapel of Sant Llenç, in Colomers

Location

Church of Santa Maria de Colomers (Baix Empordà county)

CRBMC Register NO

Altarpiece of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: 11907; altarpiece of the

Restoration

Laia Roca and Idoia Tantull, with the collaboration of Oriol Mora in the altarpiece of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Assembly

Pep Paret (team leader), Laia Roca and Idoia Tantull

Carpentry

Carmelo Ortega

Years of restoration

2012-2017

The Our Lady of the Rosary altarpiece after the conservationrestoration work

All three altarpieces underwent the usual conservationrestoration procedures: mechanical and chemical cleaning of the base material, curative and preventive disinfestation, consolidation of areas weakened by xylophagous insects, adhesion of fragments and moving elements, reattachment of the polychrome, chemical cleaning of the pictorial layer, protection of the surface of the altarpiece with a low molecular weight varnish and chromatic reintegration.

As a final presentation system, to address the large loss of base material of the lower parts of the altarpieces, some previous interventions were replaced with volumetric reintegrations using cedarwood. These solutions had to be discernible, integrated into the whole and guarantee access to the back, to carry out future controls. A frame with a cloth in the form of an altar frontal was added to the altarpiece of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which, thanks to a system of magnets, can be easily added and removed, allowing access to the back. To assemble the altarpiece of the Sacred Heart, the piece was moved forward to distance it about 50 cm from the wall, making it easier to carry out checks, while preventing possible moisture from contact with the wall. In the case of the altarpiece of Our Lady of the Rosary, the steps were rebuilt, making them easily removable to ensure access to the back. In addition, to improve their presentation, the altars of the altarpieces of the Sacred Heart and of Our Lady of the Rosary were chromatically reintegrated to match them with the base that surrounds them.

Finally, various protection systems were installed to ensure their conservation. First, a microperforated fabric on some parts of the back, to block out animals and, at the same time, to prevent the accumulation of dust and moisture or water on the wooden support. Anti-termite plastics were also added on the floor at the back to prevent further attacks.

— Laia Roca and Idoia Tantull

The altarpiece of the Sacred Heart reassembled, separated from the wall, after the conservationrestoration process

Material/Technique

Polychrome carved wood with oil paint, gilding and tempera estofado on white poplar and cypress wood

Title/Topic

All Saints altarpiece

Author

Esteve Bosch (altarpiece maker and sculptor) and Joan Baptista Toscano (painter)

Date/Period 1594-1598

Location

All Saints chapel, Girona Cathedral, Girona (Gironès county)

CRBMC Register NO

13495

Restoration

Laia Roca and Idoia Tantull (restoration of structure and polychrome)

Structural stabilisation

Josep Paret and Idoia Tantull

Years of restoration

2018-2019

In 1594, canon Baldiri Galí asked the Girona Cathedral Chapter if, in the All Saints chapel, a set of three elements could be installed: an altarpiece, the tomb itself and railings to close off the chapel.

That same year, the Girona sculptor Esteve Bosch was commissioned to create this structure. All his work was thought to have been burned until it was discovered that he created this altarpiece, for which he had followed the models by Palladio. Four years later, in 1598, Milanese painter Giovanni Battista Toscano was tasked with the polychrome for the piece, which he carried out following modern methods and in harmony with Late Mannerist tradition in 16th-century Italy. For the central panel, Toscano was inspired by images of the Risen Christ by Michelangelo in the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome.

The structure is organized as a frame for a large central scene, with the image of the risen Christ embracing the cross, surrounded by all the saints and the Virgin Mary. The scene is flanked by two canopies and four fluted columns, the lower third of which displays fretwork and precious gems. Above, there is an entablature and an attic with a split pediment. Underneath is a predella with the adoration of the shepherds scene. Either side of this scene, there are two high reliefs of allegorical women, representing the Church and Religion. The whole altarpiece rests on two wooden bases with fretwork that frames the Galís’ coat of arms.

State of conservation

In terms of state of conservation, on a structural level, the piece showed signs of xylophagous insect infestations cracks, fissures and had various pieces missing.

The main problem with polychrome and preparation layer was significant deterioration of the predella scene, which made its comprehension rather difficult. Meanwhile, old leaks from the vault had caused the preparation layer to turn to dust in places.

The surface was covered in thick dust, soot from candles and various layers of oxidated varnish, which made interpretation of the whole piece difficult. As usual in these situations, the lower part of the altarpiece was especially dirty and darkened.

Intervention

The altarpiece was restored in situ and although it was not dismantled, work was carried out to both the front and the back. Access to the back of the altarpiece was essential, so that the significant accumulation of dust and debris could be removed, elements that had fallen off and landed behind the structure could be recovered, the structure could be disinfested and strengthened, and the attic —which was clearly insecure and risked falling off— could be stabilized.

Process of cleaning the dirt underneath the varnish of the central panel

This movement was solved through the installation of an anodized aluminium bar that fastens the altarpiece to the wall. To ensure access to the back, the altar stone was moved temporarily.This revealed an inscription on the back which reads: ‘M[ossèn] Balth[asar] Alràs entra bene[fici]at en la p[rese]nt.’ This indicated who the beneficiary of this altar stone was at some point in its history.

Once the dust was removed, any loose fragments were fixed and holes and cracks were filled with wood filler. Subsequently, and after conducting analyses of the different polychromes, the piece was cleaned and varnishes were removed using different methods, depending on the area and the painting technique. Due to the thickness and hardening of some of the varnishes, gelled solutions had to be used.

As a final presentation system, an archaeological reintegration was carried out on the architectural elements, while on the painted scenes and skin, gaps were filled in by joining the remaining traces of colour. On the predella scene, where the gaps were larger, a neutral tint that imitates the surrounding colour was used to blend the holes in with the background.

Finally, as a conservation measure, microperforated fabric was installed on parts of the back of the altarpiece to block out pests and to avoid any accumulation of dust, moisture, or water in the wood.

This restoration exposed an altarpiece that had been darkened significantly, which has been studied in recent years by art historian Joan Bosch Vallbona. The conservation-restoration recovered the piece’s original colours, facilitated interpretation of the predella scene and revealed details that had been hidden by the aforementioned darkening. This restoration was also interesting because the installation of the scaffolding was also used to carry out the curative conservation of the polychrome stone elements of the chapel.

— Laia Roca and Idoia Tantull Image of the result of the process of removing the varnish from the central panel using alcohol gel. Part of the sky and the Christ are no longer covered in varnish while in the remainder, the fluorescence of the areas where this is still preserved can still be seen

Inscription discovered on the back of the altarpiece when it was moved forward to access the back of it to work on

Close-up of the predella before and after restoration

General photo of the altarpiece after restoration