CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OPERATION THE HOLY VIRGIN WITH THE CHILD SITTING IN THE THRONE ICON
CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OPERATION THE HOLY VIRGIN WITH THE CHILD SITTING IN THE THRONE ICON

Summary/Abstract: The icon from the first half of the XVIIIth century with a western influence visible in the aesthetic presentation, presents an extreme degradation status as effects of combined causes: high humidity according to the limits for the storage, generalized xylophages’ attack, careless handling. Originary from Banat area, the icon suffered not only an active xylophages’ attack but also a microbial attack. The pictorial layer suffered major damages, especially on the icon sides, tending to detach from the support in the areas where the wands of the frame join. The color coat in the area where the wooden pieces join had several areas covered with steam and adulterations due to the microbial attack. The whole frame surface was repainted in tempera. Because of the very complex character of the degradation forms, in evolutionary process which affected the icon not only aesthetically, but also jeopardized even the existence of the icon, the restoration work took place in several, difficult and laborious stages the consolidation of the pictorial layer, the putting of the areas, where the picture layer had been destroyed, the cleaning of the whole surface,inclusively the removing of the ancient, clumsy, repainting from the whole picture, the varnishing and the retouch. The method chosen was the consolidation through all available means by combining classic material with the modern ones, taking into consideration the compatibility with the original structure and as much as possible the reversibility. The methods gave satisfactory results and the “minimum intervention” principle was applied.

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