Műtárgyvédelem, 2006 (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum)
Összefoglalók
Overlapping between restoration and art historical research Restoration and re-estimation of a fresco that had been taken off the wall of the Siklós castle chapel Ildikó Fehér-Péter Menráth In 1962, János Illés restorer removed the wall painting depicting the full-length figures of Saint Ladislaus and Saint Leonard from the patron's niche of the castle chapel of Siklós and put it on a new support. After it had been removed, an earlier fresco appeared on the underlying plaster surface, which depicted the same two saints in a reverse order. Recently, the fresco layer started deteriorating. It needed conservation session and it was replanted on a new support in the Restorer Training Institute of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in the academic year of 2004-2005 under Péter Menráth and István Bóna’s supervision. Viktória Gyöpös and Attila Szegő painting conservator students restored the fresco within the frame of their degree works. Parallel to restoration, art historical research was carried out, in result of which we can more exactly estimate the circumstances and the time of the painting of the frescos on subsequent layers in the niche and also the person who ordered the wall paintings. We have supported with instrumental analysis that the main injuries the wall painting suffered in recent decades was connected with the too high moisture level in the wall and the inappropriate storing conditions. During the uncovering of the fresco, two small details were found that had been neglected in the literature: the outlines of each a flowering plant appeared on both sides at the bottom between the frame and the figures. The microscopic analysis of the sample taken from the green flower motive has revealed that the blue colour under the green one was the mixture of lime and carbon black, which was rendered more vivid with the addition of indigo. The once probably blue layer can be divided into two part, of which the upper one has faded. Further analyses have proved the pigment grain to be indigo. It faded in consequence of the ill choice of conserving materials at former restorations. In the course of the restoration, the wall painting was doubled. A Promatco sheet was inserted between the painting and the new support, which was treated first with the mixture of Plextol B 500 and Metylan and then with thick BEVA 371, and it was ironed on the back of the painting on a high pressure vacuum table heated to a temperature of 80 °C. The polystyrene plate was replaced with a rigid bearer of honeycomb structure made of aluminium and glass fabric, which had more favourable mechanic properties. The survey sketch made in scale after the uncovering evidences how little of the original surface has been preserved of the fresco: it is estimated to only two thirds of the original. Retouching was made with watercolour and a pigment bound with lime and Plextol. We did not find ethical to reconstruct the figures. We marked the outlines of the head with engraved lines in the plaster. The depiction of Saint Leonard the patron of prisoners can probably be linked with King Sigismund, who was kept in the castle of Siklós for months in 1401. It can also refer to Miklós Garai M’s brother ban János Garai’s famous captivity in Bosnia in 1415. The proximity of the Saint Blood relic in Báta could play a 181
