Il Restauro Research Articles

Tracing the history of past treatments: A multi-analytical study of a 16th-century panel painting copy after Raphael

A multi-analytical investigation and ad hoc sampling method designed to support the conservation treatment of a 16th-century panel painting are described in this work.The painting, titled Madonna of the Tent and owned by the Musei Reali Torino (Turin, Italy), had been historically attributed to Raffaello Sanzio and subsequently identified as a copy after the Master – the original version of which is displayed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich (Germany). The conservation treatment was recently carried out at Centro per la Conservazione ed il Restauro dei Beni Culturali “La Venaria Reale” (CCR), located in Venaria Reale (Turin, Italy). The work was particularly opaque and yellowed, suggesting the presence of different overlaying varnishes and, likely, overpainting.The scientific study of this work had two main aims: knowing the exact number and composition of the overlaying varnishes to select the best cleaning solution, and detecting the possible presence of overpainting, over the original stratigraphy.Coupling macro X-ray fluorescence scanning (MA-XRF), hypercolorimetric multispectral imaging (HMI), and UV–vis–NIR fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) allowed for general mapping and characterization of color paints and pigments. Observing and analyzing some cross sections with an optical microscope under Vis and UV light and SEM/EDS was essential for understanding the stratigraphy. An ad hoc sampling method and further micro-invasive analyses were required for an accurate study of the chemical composition of the varnishes and their position in the stratigraphy. Especially the image of a cross section under UV light was a guide to selectively remove the scrapings for Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) analyses; based on perceptible differences in UV-induced luminescence (UVL) of the layers, sampling of the varnishes was carried out, layer by layer, under a UV lamp.This work describes the complex process necessary to answer crucial questions in the conservation field. The adopted protocol exploited the full ability and complementarity of each imaging and spot technique used. The outcomes and methodological approach enabled us to trace the history of the past treatments and support the recent conservation treatment of the painting.

Exploring the colour palette of Wasily Kandinsky: The case study of Spitz‐Rund (1925)

AbstractThe study and conservation of a painting by Wasily Kandinsky, titled Spitz‐Rund and dated to 1925, was carried out at the Centro per la Conservazione ed il Restauro dei Beni Culturali “La Venaria Reale” 2018 and 2021. This work, owned by the Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea of Bergamo (GAMeC), was created with oil paints on cardboard, and later glued onto a wooden support. A first phase of the project entailed a thorough scientific investigation of the artist's materials and techniques by means of a multi‐analytical approach, including both non‐invasive and micro‐invasive techniques. The present contribution discusses some of the most relevant results obtained from scientific analyses on Kandinsky's masterpiece. The painting stratigraphy and colour palette were investigated using multispectral imaging, spot XRF and in situ Raman analyses. Micro‐samples were also taken and analysed with FTIR spectroscopy, Py‐GC/MS, optical microscopy and SEM–EDX. Additional investigations using MA‐XRF provided further insight into the distribution of various chemical elements, proving essential to deepen our knowledge of the painting and to integrate the information obtained from other analytical techniques. The study highlighted several similarities between Spitz‐Rund and other Kandinsky's artworks and made it possible to gain a broader understanding of the artist's technique during the Bauhaus period (1922–1933).

New Perspectives for the Consolidation of Mural Paintings in Hypogea with an Innovative Aqueous Nanolime Dispersion, Characterized by Compatible, Sustainable, and Eco-Friendly Features

Consolidation of mural paintings in hypogea is challenging because of their severe microclimatic conditions, characterized by high humidity levels, low air circulation, the presence of salts efflorescence, and the detrimental growth of biodeteriogen agents. Traditional consolidant products show significant drawbacks when used in hypogeum. Organic compounds, such as acrylic emulsions, are bio-receptive and some inorganic consolidants, such as silica-based products, show a lack of compatibility with the original substrate, which could lead to a reduction in permeability and an increase in the mechanical resistance of the external layer. The presence of solvents in their formulations, particularly short-chain alcohols that can activate germination of fungal spores, leads to the release of great amounts of volatile organic compounds, which are particularly harmful in the hypogeic environment. To solve these problems, restorers of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR) decided to use a new aqueous nanolime dispersion, NANOLAQ, consisting of pure and crystalline Ca(OH)2 nanoparticles dispersed in water, produced by an innovative and sustainable patented procedure. After laboratory testing, the product has been applied on site, on a medieval mural painting in the Ss. Peter and Paul hypogeum in the UNESCO site of Matera (Italy), monitoring the performance in terms of cohesion of the paint layer and preservation of aesthetic features.

Rediscovering the Fishing Cycle of Umberto Coromaldi

The paper reports on the discovery and restoration of the pictorial cycle made by Umberto Coromaldi (Rome, 1870-1948) for the external decoration of the Fishing Pavilion at the International Exposition in Rome of 1911, composed by large oil on canvas depicting fishing scenes and nudes of fishermen. After the event, with the demolition of the pavilion, the whole cycle was eventually forgotten: the largest canvases were rolled and for decades left in a series of deposits. Rediscovered in 2004, the paintings were in extremely poor condition. For their recovery, the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR) undertook a complex conservation program and a parallel research project to clarify the Coromaldi painting technique, the exhibition context, the history of the paintings and the figure of the artist himself, an artist soon forgotten after his death but whose value can now finally be recognised.

Contemporary Murals in the Street and Urban Art Field: Critical Reflections between Preventive Conservation and Restoration of Public Art

This paper focuses on the presentation of some of the main critical reflections concerning the current debate about conservation and restoration of contemporary murals in the Street and Urban Art field. More and more, the operations thought of for this kind of wall paintings are connected to the concept of preventive conservation or some actions with the aim of reducing the future deterioration linked to the outdoor context. The idea of protecting urban and street murals arises from two principal issues: on one hand, the (not yet) official, but social, recognition of them as works of art and beloved icons in the communities—or better “testimonies which spread the values of civilization” (definition of Cultural Heritage) from the last decades of the XX century to nowadays—and, on the other hand, the necessity of finding a way to preserve their artistic messages in the ephemeral urban context. In fact, developing a correct plan for the conservation and restoration of these works of art located in the outdoor context needs to consider—more than ever—the strict relationship between their materials, their environment, and even their viewer. This fragile axiom is strictly linked to the law of the street, where all the decay processes are, often, unpredictable. At the moment, the ICR’s (The Istituto Centrale per il Restauro) research in this field is focused on a work in progress project to develop some trials and tests with innovative materials for their preservation and a common glossary to outline particular forms of damaging in murals often based on “plastic on a wall”. The final aim could be to define institutional guidelines for the preservation of urban and street contemporary mural paintings in a perspective of a “share for care” conservative program.

Tradition Unveiled: Pottery Production in the Brazilian Kadiweu Culture

The ceramic bowls production of the Brazilian Kadiweu culture (Rio Nabileque, Mato Grosso do Sul), currently belonging to Museo delle Civiltà (MUCIV) – Museo Nazionale Preistorico ed Etnografico “Luigi Pigorini” in Rome, were studied for the first time by a multi-analytical investigation at Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR, Rome). Optical microscopy on thin section (OM) and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) were used to characterize two Kadiweu bowls (raw materials, firing and production process). UV observation and micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (μ-FTIR) were used to characterize either original or former restoration products. Finally, X-ray images were taken to study the modelling technique. This minimally invasive approach showed that raw materials and technology are compatible with local production. The use of grog was documented for the paste, which was then fired at moderately high temperatures. This study also led to revise some ethnographic data on decorations, at least for the analysed bowls, such as the use of kaolin as white pigment, which was instead proven to be calcite, or the origin of the traditional black dye from pau santo, a local tree. Its spectrum was for the first time collected on ceramics and identified as guaiac resin, which possibly comes from Guaiacum sanctum or officinale. This research project also allowed the identification of two different restoration activities, with two types of adhesives: shellac and animal glue, the latter used with lithopone. Paraloid B72 was also identified as a protective layer. Finally, textile materials found on the artefact were also characterized.

L’intervento conservativo sulle transenne in stucco gessoso e lapis specularis della basilica di Santa Sabina a Roma: approccio metodologico, prassi operative e studio della tecnica esecutiva

The Early-Medieval window-transennas from the paleochristian Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome were recently object of a conservation project at Istituto Centrale per il Restauro. Discovered by Antonio Munoz at the beginning of the XX century, they here fixed them on wooden boards with screws. The boards were hanged on the wall of the portico and later recovered in the depots of the Basilica’s Museum. Conservation work is currently being carried out also on the other existing elements. Visual examination, 3D scanning and diagnostics allowed a deep understanding of such extremely rare artefacts. Their execution techniques were studied, appearing cast in molds in which the gypsum mortar was applied in two layers, between which the plates of lapis specularis were inserted. On the internal surface traces of Egyptian Blue were detected. Diff erent laser techniques were used to clean the surfaces, including that of the lapis specularis. Exhibition stands for the reassembled and integrated fragments were designed on a new 3D scan, minimizing the surface required for support. Structures built with carbon fibre/epoxy on milled cores are thin and rigid, use a limited amount of the external face of the transennae and allow the passage of the light through the lapis specularis.

AFTER BRANDI – UMBERTO BALDINI AND THE MODERN THEORY OF CONSERVATION-RESTORATION IN ITALY

Giorgio Bonsanti, as a contemporary witness of Umberto Baldini’s professional activities in Florence and his successor as Soprintendente of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, gives an overview of the closely intertwined situation in theory and practice of conservation-restoration at Baldini’s time. He analyses terms and principles of Baldini’s Theory and Methodological Unity and emphasises this theory as well as the related methods of reintegration as a development of Brandi’s Theory and the methods of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro in Rome. Furthermore, he shortly outlines actual Italian positions in theory and practice of conservation-restoration.

THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CONSERVATION DATA FOR STUCCO ARTIFACTS

Some 90 Roman stucco fragments, coming from the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, underwent in the conservation-restoration process within the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (ISCR) laboratories in Matera. Before the conservation activity, the wide number of this manufacts brought us to design a data management system, suitable for stucco findings. Nowadays, the international approaches towards data management of this kind of artifacts is extremely heterogeneous and the absence of an unequivocal data sheet makes the cataloguing very complex and laborious. Our studies on the fragments allowed us to draw up a specific cataloguing instrument for this kind of material, carried out with a software structuring data collection in order to respond to different necessities, such as completeness and updatability, required by an efficient data management system.

INTEGRATION OF BRANDI’S THEORY IN THE CONTEXT OF EASTERN RELIGIONS AND CULTURES

The Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (ISCR) has always been involved in the diffusion of Cesare Brandi’s restoration theory and practice in the international panorama.Since 1950 Brandi’s theory has spread through model interventions, scientific advice and the tutoring of international students. Those factors lead also to an increase of trust and esteem towards the ISCR.In the 21st century, the ISCR started to be involved in the establishment of new conservation schools by foreign countries. Moreover, it promoted translations of the “Teoria del Restauro” (theory of conservation) book in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Serbian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Polish. This permitted a deepened understanding and integration in the local culture of Brandi’s theory, rather than the direct execution of the fifties.For those reasons, today the Italian conservator-restorers face the new opportunity and growing perspective: looking at Brandi’s theory in direct contact with the cultural context in which is being applied, through the dialogue with local, highly trained professionals.The importance of this dialogue has become particularly evident during collaborations with eastern countries, with a particular interest in which part of the theory can merge and which will diverge with the religious and cultural principles. Especially, the experience of the ISCR in Ajanta in India (2004-2018) and Kathmandu in Nepal (after the 2013 earthquake) will be discussed.

HIGH RESOLUTION 3D ACQUISITION AND MODELLING IN CULTURAL HERITAGE KNOWLEDGE AND RESTORATION PROJECTS: THE SURVEY OF THE FOUNTAIN OF NEPTUNE IN BOLOGNA

Abstract. In 2016, the Municipality of Bologna (Italy) has undertaken the restoration of one of the symbols of the entire city, the Fountain of Neptune, in evident state of degradation. The works have touched upon all the aspects of this complex object and the project has seen involved the Municipality and the University of Bologna, the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro (ISCR) (Rome) and the Visual Computing Lab of the CNR – ISTI (Pisa), in a modern and highly multi-disciplinary approach.One of the key elements of the project was made up by the creation of an information system ad hoc developed to permit, in an innovative, efficient and user-friendly way, the collection, sharing, management and analysis of all the information and data related to diagnostics and restoration actions. The base of the information system is a very detailed 3D model of the monument, realized by means of the most modern techniques for objects 3D modelling (laser scanning, digital photogrammetry and 3D scanning) integrated together with the aim to obtain a photo-textured 3D model characterized by a sub-millimetre precision level in the geometric description and a high perceptive fidelity of colour reproduction.The surveying activities and data processing, performed by the DICAM Geomatics group of the University of Bologna (with the collaboration of the MCM Company of Rome), are described in the paper, with considerations on the problems encountered and the procedures and solutions adopted. The information system has been developed by CNR-ISTI.

CAD-CAE methods to support restoration and museum exhibition of bronze statues: the “Principe Ellenistico”

Ancient bronze statues mainly require material integrity assessment and restoration. Restoration may include also the update of the museum exhibition, defining new structural frames and fragment re-composition to preserve the statue and improve the interpretation of the original aspect. This paper proves how engineering methods (such as Finite Element Analysis, Computer Aided Design modelling, Reverse Engineering) may assist cultural heritage experts and restorers in these tasks. It presents the activities made together with the Museo Nazionale Romano and the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro, on the so-called “Principe Ellenistico” (Hellenistic Prince). This bronze was found in pieces (body, left arm and right leg), at the end of 19th century during an excavation made in Rome. No visual or reference sources can say its origin and its final posture was defined by restorers at the end of the 19th century according to their hypothesis and studies. In the 20th century, a further restoration was made on the critical areas of the surface, together with some structural improvement of the inner frame. Nowadays, after a review of its position inside the Museum, new experimental and numerical analyses have been carried out to better understand surface weakness and correct left arm positioning.

Discoveries and oddities in library materials

Surprising discoveries can happen while analyzing library materials.This paper presents four case studies focusing on four artifacts of different ages and provenances, all analyzed and studied at the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro e la Conservazione del Patrimonio Archivistico e Librario (Icrcpal). The common denominator amongst the case studies presented in this work, lies in the need for a strong interconnection between the analysis of biological issues and chemical data. The interplay between the two complementary approaches is paramount for the correct interpretation of the status of the material under examination as, as will be shown in the following case studies, chemical data could find an interpretation only in the face of biological observations and vice versa.The first case we here present, deals with two parchment codices that have been found in 2008 during a fishing expedition in the Canale di Sicilia. At that time a deep-sea fishing boat belonging to the fleet of Mazara del Vallo caught in its nets, two artifacts, leading to the first discovery of library materials in the deep sea. The Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) analyses allowed for the creation of a compositional map of the surface of the samples, where several microscopic encrusting sea organisms and biogenic materials were also observed. Almost nothing of the original structure of the parchment (of which the object is presumably made) could be recognized at SEM. The absence of the typical collagen features was confirmed by Raman analyses that could only collect spectra of an isoprenic-type polymer of putative biogenic origin.The second case deals with fragments of medieval manuscripts that were found in 2007 buried in the walls of the Great Mosque of Sana'a in Yemen. An outstanding discovery regarded the dark brown inks used on a Qur'ānic fragment attributed to the 10th century. SEM micrographs disclosed the presence of red blood cells mixed to ink components. The inks were also investigated with Raman spectroscopy.The third case study is the book “Libretto di appunti e memorie del Padre Francesco Zazzera”, dated 17th century that presented a peculiar modification of the black ink that appeared to be faded and turned to a white-yellowish color. Raman and SEM analyses recognized and documented a biogenic formation of jarosite on top of the ink. It was possible to remove the jarosite layer and to recover the original black ink, thus allowing an easier reading of the text.The fourth and last case analyzed and presented in this paper consists of the measurements on the invaluable Codex Purpureus Rossanensis dated 6th century. Raman spectroscopy here allowed the demonstration of the use of an elderberry lake to obtain a mauve color. This is the first experimental evidence of the use of that particular dye in such an ancient illuminated manuscript.A sort of archeological discovery was also done on this codex with respect to the past misfortunes that occurred to it; by simply observing some traces we were able to support some intriguing hypothesis on its history and vicissitudes.

The ISCR Project ‘Restoring Underwater’: An Evaluation of the Results After Ten Years

The project ‘Restoring Underwater’ launched and conducted by the Underwater Archaeology Operations Unit of the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (ISCR, Rome, Italy) is aimed at the study and the experimentation of instruments, materials, methodologies, and techniques for the restoration, conservation, and in situ display of ancient submerged artefacts. The project commenced in 2001 with the restoration of the vivaria of the Roman villa of Torre Astura (Nettuno, Rome), since 2003 the main subject of researches has been the submerged archaeological site of Baiae (Naples, Italy), where, over the years, the restoration of sectors of certain buildings in the protected marine area has been carried out: the Villa con ingresso a Protiro, the Villa dei Pisoni, the Via Herculanea, and the Building with porticoed courtyard near Portus Iulius. In 2007, in 2009, and in 2010 three new archaeological targets have been added to the research: a group of nine cast iron cannons discovered offshore the coast of the Marettimo Island (Sicily, Italy), the Roman wreck carrying a load of sarcophagi discovered off the coast of San Pietro in Bevagna (Taranto, Italy), and the traditional fishing boat recently discovered off the cost of Martana Island (Bolsena Lake, Italy).The purpose of this paper is to sum up the work in progress and the results of these ten years of the project. The paper will shows as the conservation and museum display in situ of underwater heritage must not just be considered an opportune choice but may in itself provide a strong stimulus for experimenting new materials and technologies as well as representing a factor in the socio-economic development of the communities concerned, as shown by the example of Baiae.

Giambologna's giant and the cinquecento villa garden as a landscape of suffering

Jacopo Bonfadio wrote in 1541, when comparing the countryside around Naples to that near Florence: ‘Nature seems to lord with authority, but in ruling everywhere rejoices and laughs’. 1 The abundan...

STEPPING ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN: CONSERVATION OF A PAIR OF PONTIFICAL SANDALS OF THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY AD

This contribution deals with a pair of historical leather shoes, well preserved and richly decorated with arabesque motifs, which belong to the municipal collections of Castel St Elia (near Rome). The Latin world 'sandalia' usually refers to particular liturgical shoes worn by the bishop on special occasions. A few other examples from the same historical period have survived in different parts of Europe. These objects are considered an outstanding example of the cultural and artistic interactions between Sicily and Ayyubid Egypt in the thirteenth century. Both manufacturing technology and decoration are extremely refined and seem to descend from the Coptic tradition of shoe-making. Our contribution will focus on the conservation treatment recently carried out together with scientific investigations and historical research. Choices and processes necessarily take into account their destination, as they will be exhibited in a new museum that the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro is presently setting up.

The Formation of Metal Oxalates in the Painted Layers of a Medieval Polychrome on Stone, as Revealed by Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

This paper reports a detailed study of the degradation phenomena exhibited by the painted bas-relief sculpture on the portal of the Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore in Verona. This study extends the wide diagnostic project started previously by the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR, Rome). Micro-Raman measurements on polished cross-sections of samples from the painted lunette allowed detailed identification of the species present in the different layers, thanks to the high spatial resolution and chemical selectivity of this technique. One of the most interesting findings was the occurrence of large amounts of metal oxalates. In particular, in addition to calcium oxalates, copper oxalate was observed in layers containing copper-based pigments, and data on the distribution of both these oxalates within the painted layers were obtained. The results give evidence of the nature of the degradation processes taking place involving the painting materials, provide information about the degree of degradation, and make it possible to advance reliable hypotheses on the causes and mechanisms of ageing. Along with calcium oxalates, copper oxalate proves to be a reliable marker for degradation, which is of general interest for the study of outdoor paintings containing copper-based pigments.

Research project on protective shelters for archaeological areas in Italy A status report

This paper presents a project conducted by the Department of New Technologies, Energy and the Environment, an autonomous research institute supported by various ministries of the Italian government, in partnership with the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, Rome, focusing on the development of a methodology for the design and planning of protective shelters in archaeological contexts. The aim is to standardize the planning process, and define a guiding methodology to support the planning process for sheltering. The project, of three years duration, will be completed in 2002. Currently, a database is being developed in which to collect information relative to the different aspects that characterize an archaeological site. The methodology used for the structuring of this archive derives directly from the 'Carta del Rischio del Patrimonio Culturale'. An innovative element of this project is its interdisciplinary approach, leading to tangible progress in the planning/ design of sheltering systems. Preliminary studies are currently underway leading towards the implementation of two examples of protective shelters, which serve as illustrative examples of the project's methodology.

Old Master Prints and Drawings: A Guide to Preservation and Conservation

This long awaited English edition of Manuale per la conservazione e il restauro di disegni e stampe antichi (1991) offers a clear and complete manual for the preservation and conservation of old master prints and drawings. The authors throw light on the historical and scientific backgrounds concerning the problems of restoration techniques of arts on paper, from 1150, when paper was first introduced in Europe, until the middle of the nineteenth century. The book is indispensable for anyone occupied with the study and conservation of old prints and drawings. This richly illustrated, first English edition is revised and brought fully up to date.

ASSESSMENT OF RECENT SURFACE CONSOLIDATION AND PROTECTION TREATMENTS ON SELECTED ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS IN ROME

ASSESSMENT OF RECENT SURFACE CONSOLIDATION AND PROTECTION TREATMENTS ON SELECTED ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS IN ROME