Mikó Árpád szerk.: "Magnificat anima mea Dominum" M S Mester vizitáció-képe és egykori selmecbányai főoltára (A Magyar Nemzeti Galéria kiadványai 1997/1)

TANULMÁNYOK / ESSAYS - MENRÁTH PÉTER-HERNÁDY SZILVIA: M S mester Vizitáció-képének restaurálása

common goal of the above examinations was to isolate materials, processes and information uniquely characteristic of this panel, since only these could provide evidence to prove, or disprove, the common origin of the group of works associated with the Visitation and attributed to Master M S - both with regard to the past, but also, for future references. The panel was X-rayed during the preliminary examinations. (The examinations were carried out under the guidance of the physicist László Kriston.) On the basis of these X-ray radiographic records it was concluded that the sharply defined, complete paintlosses affecting both the paint layer and the ground were mainly to be found along the joints of the panel. Regarding the figures, complete paintlosses were seen on Mary's scarf and hair, and along the bottom edge of her pink dress; on Elizabeth's head dress, along the bottom edge of the red drapery of her cape, on the tip of her left shoe and on the end of the fingers of her extended left arm. The same type of paintloss was discovered on the landscape background: on the rocky hills above Mary's head, near the house on the rock, and on the mountain over the castle on the right; they could also be found on the left gatepost of the bridge leading across the river, as well as on the wooded area above it; and also, on the green foliage of the foreground at the leaves of the rose on the eighth board, and on the stem of the iris on the first board. The most extensive areas of complete paintloss in the gilded background were found in the upper third of the panel. In addition to the complete paintlosses, the X-ray records clearly showed the thinning of the paint layer in places, along with the fragmentation, craquelure and the extent of its thinning and paintlosses, partly due to earlier restoration work. The X-ray photographs revealed pigments of large atomic number in the lines of the folds on Elizabeth's gilded sleeves and on the highlights of her fingers. With regard to the highlights, this is a natural phenomenon due to the lead content of the paint. In the case of the black colour, however, this suggested that underneath, closely following the outline of the top layer, there was an underpaint of a substance that caused this phenomenon. The painter used the same method to paint the trees on the goldsurface. The X-ray photographs also found pigment of a large atomic number, the apparent residue of an earlier overpaint, in the craquelure of Elizabeth's cape. Scanning the entire surface with the help of a vidicon tube camera, we discovered that on surfaces where the paint was extremely thin - for example, on Mary's hands, neck and pink dress -, the underdrawing which could easily be seen through the naked eye faded away on the screen. The phenomenon, which has already been described in the literature, is explained by the use of iron gallic ink. Our views on this have been confirmed by the independent examinations and written reports of Professor Erwin Emmerling and Professor J. R. J. van Asperen de Boer. Therefore, compared to the X-ray radiographs and the simple visual examination through the naked eye, the infrared photographs yielded no new information for the scientific evaluation of the painting. The only major result of the infrared examination was the conclusion that, in outlining the composition, the painter used iron gallic ink, which was not customary in the practice of contemporary workshops, as shown in the results of examining Mediaeval panel paintings. On the basis of the preliminary photographic analyses the location and size of the losses in the original paint layer, as well as the extent of its thinness, could be accurately determined, at the same time making the effects of the earlier restorations stand out all the more clearly. The evaluation of these results enabled the restorers to make a detailed plan of their task. The Modernization of the Cradling System and the Protection of the Panel As revealed by the inscription on its middle member (now removed), the cradling system of the Visitation was made in 1937 by the carpenter Károly Pusztai. In the original and rather large Mediaeval altarpiece, the panel of the Visitation was set in a broad and strong ornamental frame. In addition to its decorative function, this supporting pressing frame, which was reinforced with a complicated system of dowels and iron fittings, also served as a stabilizer. Set tightly in the frame's rebate, the panel was held firmly in a flat position. As for the movable wings, the frame bore most of the diagonal twisting effect that resulted from moving the wings of a large span, distributing and reducing the inner tension thus produced. The ornamental frame made for displaying the painting in the exhibition failed to provide a similar protection to the panel of the Visitation, which had long been removed from the original frame. The frequent moving of the panel led to the loosening of the paint layer and its separation from the support. The cradling system was built to take over the role of the original supporting pressing frame: i.e. to hold the panel in a flat position and to reinforce the thinned panel. However, a cradling system inevitably leaves more room for lateral motion. No matter how closely the members of the cradle are placed to one another, the cradling system cannot provide adequate protection against the diagonal twisting effect arising from moving the panel. The function of the cradling system is to distribute the tension evenly over the entire area of the panel, thus reducing the possibility of the paintloss at the weakest points. Rather than preventing it, the cradle can only slow the process. With its members applied very close to one another (the runners were 7.5 cm apart, the fixed members were placed at a distance of 4 cm from one another), the cradling system of the Visitation worked