Overall Condition
PoorNotes
Condition: Severe state of degradation but treatable. Surface is extremely fragile. The thick flakes of paint and ground have virtually no adhesion to the canvas and a lining is recommended. The painting is in need of facing before further handling is attempeted. The old lining fabric may be removed if the facing lends enough stablility to the presentation surface. IF the old lining cannot be safely removed, it will be left attached.
Proposal for treatment: Clean surface and stabilize, apply facing. Remove from stretcher, clean reverse side, reline, remove facing tissue, re-stretch. Estimated cost: $10,000Overall Condition
PoorNotes
Support
Construction: The painting is executed on an open weave canvas, estimated to be linen. The linen fabric has approximately 15 threads per inch in warp and weft directions. The threads are uneven in diameter, varying between thick coarse yarns and thin yarns. The original canvas has been glue lined to another fabric support. Thie lining is also an open weave fabric, estimated to be linen. The lining fabric has only a slightly tighter weave than the orignial canvas.
Condition:
The original canvas is degraded and brittle. The tacking margins were cut away at the fold over edge when the painting was line. The adhesion is breaking down between the layers of fabric. The original canvas is separating from the lining at the lower right corner and all across the bottom edge. There is no evidence of tears or punctures in the original fabric of the lining fabric. The most severe deformations ocur along the lower edge of the painting.
Auxiliarly Support:
Construction:
The canvas has been stretched upon 5 member stretcher made of a ring porous hardwood. There are six keys extant that are nailed in place. The cross member has no keys, and there is one key missing from the left corner. There is a series of nails running along the back of the stretcher at one inch intervals. There are favruc remnants ehind these nails. The lining is attached to the stretcher at the sides which have been covered with 1/ by 1/2 inch wood strips. The lining has become detache from the stretcher at the lower edge.
Condition:
The stretcher appears to be in fair condition. A full evaluation of the stretcer will be mad after the painting is stabilized. The painting will be reatttached tothe original stretcher if it can give proper support to the painting.
Ground and Paint Layer:
Construction:
The ground appears to be a soft, porous chalk gesso, or chalk-lead combination. The ground has thickly applied and pressed in to the interstices of the canvas. the ground has a rough surface thickly conformation. The paint has been applied in moderate thickness. There are several areas of visible brush strokes but no impasto. It is difficult to comment on the technical painting employed because of the tick layer of grme and coal dust that obsures the surface. The composition is dramatically lit in the style of the Carravagisti painter.
Condition:
The ground layer has little adhesion to the canvas. The paint layer still has good adhesion to the ground layer. The entire surface is covered with a network of cracking that relates to the open weave of the canvas. The widespread network of cracks has progressed to cupping and flaking of the paint and ground layers. There are losses of paint and ground throughout the work. The lifting flakes are substantial in thickness and have a good prognosis for being set back down with consolidant or in a lining.
Vanish layer:
the surface of the painting is covered in a substantial coat of coal dust and grime. Beneath the grime layer there appears to be a layer of degraded natural resin varnish. This varnish shows partial solubility in Keck II. At this point further examination of the surface is difficult because the painting is so fragile. more detailed account of the surface and the cleaning proposal will follow.
Damage Information: Summary of Condition:
THe painting is in a severe state of degradation, but can be treated. The paint and ground layers are breaking away from the canvas and the surface is extremely fragile. The thick flakes of paint and ground have virtually no adhesion to the canvas and a lining is recommended. THe painting is in need of a facing before further handling of the
piece is attempted. The old lining fabric may be removed if the facing lends enough stability to the
presentation surface. If the old lining can not be safely removed it will be left attached.
The cleaning tests, so far, are promising. There is a heavy grime, dust and soot layer on top of a degraded natural resin varnish. The actual proposal for the cleaning of the painting will have to be refined afteer the painting has been lined and further tests can be executed.