Műtárgyvédelem, 2011 (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum)
Korhecz Papp Zsuzsanna: Schöfft József (1776-1851) oltárképeinek festéstechnikája
Műtárgyvédelem 36 The Painting Technique Used by József Schöfft (1776-1851) in His Altarpieces Zsuzsanna Korhecz Papp Popular in his era, Károly József Schöfft (1776-1851), was a master not lacking in commissions. The altarpieces of numerous churches in Pest, Buda and elsewhere in Hungary originate in the studio operated by the family. His style of painting evidences transition from late Baroque to Classicism, and transition is likewise apparent in the techniques he employed. The study also surveys techniques used in painting in central Europe at this time. When preparing a support (a canvas hand woven from flax), Schöfft used grounds of different colours. At the beginning of his career, he used red ground (characteristic of the Baroque age), but then moved on ‘progressively’ to yellow, grey, and finally white ground. It was on these coloured’ grounds that the artist worked using oil paint. We studied the pigments used by Károly József Schöfft by taking small samples from the different paint layers on the altarpieces investigated. The study seeks connections between the technique employed on a work and the present condition of that work, as well as between the technique employed and different types of ageing, using the findings of examinations of 12 altarpieces, 10 of which are to be found in churches and public collections in today’s Voivodina (in Serbia).The author’s studies in the Doctoral School of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts provide her with opportunities for research into ecclesiastical art on the territory of the Voivodina that is coupled with restoration work. The project, entitled ‘Altarpieces in the Catholic Churches of Southern Hungary 1700-1850’, has set as its goal the recording, surveying, and partial restoration of this neglected heritage for the historical monument protection authorities in Serbia. These works are organically connected to the cultural heritage of Hungary itself, but after the Trianon peace treaty (1920) they dropped below the horizon of art history in Hungary. This interdisciplinary approach combining research methods used in art history and those used in the history of technology wishes to address the output of forgotten masters in Pest-Buda, a field not studied hitherto. With the help of this approach, the attributing of more works may be possible, resulting in deeper knowledge and recognition of our cultural heritage. A szerző cime/Author’s address: Korhecz Papp Zsuzsanna Festőrestaurátor művész/Painting conservator MA Városi Múzeum, Szabadka E-mail: korhecz.zsuzsi@gmail.com 162
