Műtárgyvédelem, 2006 (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum)

Összefoglalók

cause the separation of the blocks and the appearance of new splits. The movement of the wood also injured the ground and the paint layer. Due to the flaking of the weakened paint layer, the statue was repainted at several places. We could not detect traces of damage done by insects.

Before planning the restoration, analytical methods were applied to determine the species of the wood and the structure and the binding media of the pigment layers. This was necessary to exactly determine the overpainting and to choose the appropriate cleaning method. As we could not find traces of insects in the statue, and nothing suggested former deterioration by insects, there was no need of structural consolidation in the deep layers. The detached pigment layers and the metal powder colours easily dropped off. The environment of these areas were dusted and freed from grease then some alcohol was injected under the detached layers and they were glued back to the support with gelatine or the injection of hot coletta-glue. Finally the layers were ironed back to the support with a lukewarm iron through Japanese paper. The overpainting was mechanically removed with a scalpel. The final chemical cleaning was carried out according to tests with solvents fitting to the type of the binding matter. Finally, the remains of the pigments were removed with the 20-70-10% mixture of formic acid + denatured alcohol + turpentine. The varnish remains were removed with a mixture containing ethyl-methyl ketone. To wipe off the remains, turpentine was mixed with a couple of drops of paraffin oil. The original poliment gilding could easily be cleaned with Szuperkromofág, which removed the greasy dirt and the remains of the varnish from the surface. In this case 50-50% mixture of white spirit and turpentine was used for wiping. On other painted surfaces, non-ionic detergent was used for the removal of organic impurities. To glue back the split or detached wooden elements, 1:1 mixture of bone glue and rabbit glue were used. All the smaller fragments that could be reconstructed and needed wooden replacements were prepared from balsa wood with regard to the grain direction. No exact matching could be reached as the original wood surface had been damaged, so a dispersion-based adhesive PVAc (K 33) was chosen to obtain the necessary adhesion stability. A thin isolating varnish layer was spread over the ground coating of the surface (Rowney Retouching Varnish) before the completion of the painting. The surface was retouched with Pelikan guache watercolour, using invisible, sometimes hatched retouching technique. Then the missing and the worn gilded surfaces were replaced and repaired.

Finally, the entire surface, apart from the gilded surfaces, was coated with Extra-fine Retouching Varnish. Thinly applied zapon lacquer was used on the gilded surfaces. The smaller injuries in the carvings, which could disturb the aesthetic view, were repaired and after the replacement of the losses in the ground, the painted surfaces were also aesthetically reconstructed. The controlled reconstruction method, which fit into the original surface environment, authentically revokes the original outlook of the statue.

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