Characterization of the stucco decoration by Baldassarre Fontana in the Gallery of the Angels at Uherčice Castle (Cz)

Abstract

This paper investigates of the materials and techniques, used by Baldassarre Fontana and his workshop, to create the stuccoes of the Gallery of the Angels at Uherčice Castle (CZ) dated between 1692 and 1696, when the artist was at the height of his career. So far, the stucco decoration has mainly been studied considering stylistic features, and very little data is available on composition and material analysis. Currently, extensive restoration work is in progress at the castle and in particular on its sumptuous decoration. Portion of stuccoes that were detached in 1995 from the wooden ceiling for conservation reasons have provided a unique opportunity to study the materials, the execution techniques, and their condition. One of the detached fragments, representing an eagle in high relief surrounded by floral decoration in bas-relief, was scanned with X-ray and X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) to observe its internal structure and the anchoring system that bound it to the ceiling. The three main types of stucco work represented in the gallery (decorative plasterwork, bas-reliefs and high-reliefs), were analysed using polarised light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersion spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).