Međunarodna konferencija studija konzervacije-restauracije

Identification, conservation and restoration of the wall painting situated in the cloister of the Sanctuary of the Our Lady Queen of Families in Wambierzyce

Author: Wiktoria Zejler
Mentor: Mieczysław Stec, Associate Professor

Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (Poland)
Study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art 
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of  paintings, 6th study year  

Summary
A poster was made to present almost the whole process of conservation and restoration of the mural painting. It includes: research investigating the presence of hidden mural paintings, uncovering, removal of overpainting layers, cleaning, chemical analysis and, at present stage, technical reinforcement. These steps made possible an iconographic investigation in order to find an analogy in history of art and to visualize how it propably looked in the past. The whole work was supported by research in documentation, in literature, in history of Basilica in Wambierzyce - a multicultural pilgrime and tourist centre. Theoretical and chemical examination confirms a hypothesis about dating of the object, its authorship and the provenance of a local painter.

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Conservation and restoration of wooden marionettes from the play The Strike Brigade

Author: Zala Kalan
Mentor: Miladi Makuc Semion, Associate Profesor; Ana Motnikar, Higher Professional Associate 

University of Ljubljana, Academy of Fine Arts and Design (Slovenia)
Conservation and restoration of works of art (MA) 

Summary
We have performed the conservation and restoration work on the marionettes from the puppet play The Strike Brigade. It’s premiere, which was also the inaugural performance of the newly established puppet theatre in Ljubljana (present Lutkovno gledališče Ljubljana). The conservation and restoration of marionettes was tackled integrally, bearing in mind that they would become museum exhibits and would no longer carry out their original function - performing on stage. The questions that were raised during the work were: To what extent should we interfere with the marionettes? How much of patina should we remove? Should we fill the gaps or conserve and restore them exclusively according to their existing condition, maintaining any damage as a historical document of a period of time? We decided to intervene in the marionettes only so far as to slow their further decay and stabilise the damage, restoring only their most obtrusive parts.

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Christ crucified- wooden, polychrome sculpture from the Dominicans monastery in Cracov- conservation and restoration in the context of a comparative analysis of the state of research and the corresponding animated figures

Author: Wawrzyniec Woźniak
Mentor: Barbara Budziaszek, MA, Senior Lecturer 

Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (Poland)
Study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art 
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of sculpture

Summary
The issues concearning the object I have chosen are extremely complex, but in this thesis I will restrict myself to perform a technical and easthetic conservation and make an attempt of dating the object (on the basis of the conclusions driven from previously conducted research and analysis). As part of sculpture's conservation it will be closely examined in order to gather information that may help to determine the time frame in which the figure could have been made and to define its style. In the technical and aesthetic consevation I will mainly try to strengthen the object and provide the reconstruction of missing parts to such an extent that it will be able to fulfill its initial function during the Easter time and can be properly exposed in the course of the liturgical year.

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Conservation-restoration of Terracotta ring vase - Cypriot collection from Archaeological museum of Dubrovnik. Replacement of missing parts: modelling and moulding

Author: Romana Manenica
Mentor: Sanja Pujo, mag. art

University of Dubrovnik, Art and Restoration Department (Croatia)
Graduate Programme in Conservation-Restoration (MA)
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of ceramics, 4th study year

Summary
With this poster, we want to introduce you to the conservation and restoration works carried out on a ceramic object with an emphasis on reconstruction of missing parts. Where large areas of damage have occurred, the missing part may cause the object to be structurally weak and visually incomplete. In this case we use molds and hand modelling. The process of reconstructing is showed on a Cypriot terracotta ring vase, which dates to the Middle Bronze Age. The same object reached the Archaeological museum in Dubrovnik by donation from 19. century.
After receiving it, the object was documented, photographed and sketches were made to show parts which needed to be reconstructed and linked(that was done in the program Adobe Illustrator). It was noted that there have been previous restorations. Glossy coating and adhesive residues were found; which were then removed and the object was cleaned. Whole treatment was done with accent on reconstruction of missing parts using molds and modelling. At the end, some reconstructed parts were retouched.
The goal of this reconstruction was to stabilize the object and to show how it looked before the breakage. This poster shows a few ways to reconstruct that could be useful for other types of ceramic objects that need to be reconstructed.

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Conservation and restoration of 19th century casket including reconstruction of the missing elements in the material imitating bone

Author: Izabela Górka-Zygier
Mentor: Ireneusz Płuska, Professor

Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (Poland)
Study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art 
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of sculpture, 6th study year 

Summary
The poster presents the conservation of a durable but also sensitive material - bone (cattle). It is one of the main issues of the restoration of a composite structure object: a 19th century casket made of walnut wood, silk damask and bone. The aim to reconstruct the missing plaques was the reason to develop the technique and technology of a bone imitation. Using various materials, many attempts were made and both epoxy and polyester (tinted with the pigments), most transparent and liquid resins were proved to be the best. It was important to choose the right material, capable to perform the castings and to imitate the color and the structure of a bone. The plaques have to be durable and resistant to the light. As part of the diploma the conservation of a 19th century silk damask and wood - part of the caskets construction is beeng performed.

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Conservation aspects and methods applied on several medieval parchment fragments

Authors: Orsolya Zelenák, Júlia Tövissi and Tamás Sipos
Mentors: Márta Kissné Bendefy, Head of Leather Specialization, and Katalin Orosz DLA, Head of Paper Specialization

Hungarian University of Fine Arts (Hungary)
Study programme: Conservation of Applied Arts Objects
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of paper and leather, 4th study year

Summary
Several medieval parchment fragments from the collection of the Dept. of Manuscripts of the Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest were restored by the fourth year students of the Specialization of Paper and Leather Conservation. These objects present latine handwritten texts on both sides, blue headings, red rubrics and in one case a figurative polichrome initial decoration too. It seems that they made part originally of different codices and were reused afterwards as bookcovers. Due to the changes of the moisture content the fragments had become dehidratated, rigid, unpliable and deformed. The goal of the conservation was to perform on the parchments only those interventions that are necessary for the preservation, readability and the interpretability of the contained information (handwritten texts and illustrations). The poster aimed to present the main problems observed during the conservation process of the fragments and it summerises some of the most adequate methods for protecting them for the future.

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The problems of historical alterations in the cassone type chest using the example of the conservation of the 16th century Italian chest

Author: Piotr Jarek
Mentor: Professor Grażyna Korpal

Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (Poland)
Study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art 
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of paintings

Summary
The topic of my poster is the remedial conservation and partial restoration of an Italian cassone type chest. It most likely comes from the 16th century and currently belongs to the Wawel Royal Castle State Art Collection in Kraków. The chest has been bought by Leon Piniński in 1929 in Venice. As the front panel has only been faintly preserved, its constructions, decorative values and aesthetic arrangement are topics of great interest. Another fascinating problem is that the particular elements of the chest have been made at different times.
I would like to focus on the problem of the conservation and restoration of the chest, including:
• Dismount of the chosen element of the piece.
• Impregnation of the wood.
• Cleaning of the polychrome, the gold plating and the wooden elements.
• Resealing of the loosening paint layers.
• Filling in the missing layers of ground and paint.
• Adding the missing gold foil and blending the colours.
• Research aiming to date the particular elements of the chest.
The so called historical conservation used in the case of this chest pushes us to consider the problems of respecting and dealing with earlier interferences to the object, which are valuable witnesses to history.

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Canon Tables

Author: Martina Lochert
Mentors: Zvjezdana Jembrih, Associate Professor; Ana Božičević, Teaching Assistant 

University of Zagreb, Academy of Fine Arts (Croatia)
Integrated study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of sculpture, 4th study year

Summary
Poster presents research done on the theme of canon tables, explains their liturgical usage and shows conservation and restoration works on canon tables from the Chapel of St. Phillip and Jacob in Gradišće near Samobor and the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle in Gornji Rajić near Novska. 
Tree canon tables from the chapel of St. Philip and Jacob are a topic of research for final thesis of student Petra Lulić. Frames of these tables are over painted with inadequate material which will be removed after consultation with the competent Department of Conservation, after which they will be returned to the chapel. 
Canon table from the church of St. Thomas the Apostle from Gornji Rajić is the only remaining part of the church inventory after the Serb-Croatian war (1991- 1995). Complete conservation and restoration works were done on Department for Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art by a student Martina Lochert, and they shall be returned to the Diocesian Museum in Zagreb. 
All papers with canon texts from canon tables where found in very bad shape. Their conservation and restoration was done in cooperation with Department for Paper and Leather of Croatian restoration Institute.

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Preventive Conservation in the Church of St. Joseph (Lazarus) on the Island of Čiovo

Author: Karmen Milić
Mentor: Sagita Mirjam Sunara, Assistant Professor

University of Split, Arts Academy in Split (Croatia)
Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate Program in Conservation-Restoration
2nd year

Summary
In April 2013 first-year conservation-restoration students of the Arts Academy in Split participated in a preventive conservation project in the Church of St. Joseph, formerly St. Lazarus, on the island of Čiovo near Trogir. The church, which was erected in the early 15th century and later expanded, holds a very rich collection of artworks. Most of the movable inventory is kept in the attic of the church. The objects were improperly stored, and it was the students' task to clean out the attic, sort through the material and store the objects neatly on shelves.
The project was organized as a one-day practical activity in the course Introduction to Conservation-Restoration of Easel Paintings and Polychrome Wood 2. Assistant Professor Sagita Mirjam Sunara and Teaching Assistant Lana Kekez organized and supervised the work.

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Preventive Conservation in the Church of St. Joseph (Lazarus) on the Island of Čiovo: The short version

Author: Josip Nižetić
Mentor: Sagita Mirjam Sunara, Assistant Professor

University of Split, Arts Academy in Split (Croatia)
Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate Program in Conservation-Restoration 
2nd year

Summary
This poster describes a preventive conservation project in the Church of St. Joseph (St. Lazarus) on the island of Čiovo, undertaken in the academic year 2012/2013 as a one-day practical activity in the course Introduction to Conservation-Restoration of Easel Paintings and Polychrome Wood 2.
The collection of moveable objects of the Church of St. Joseph comprises over one hundred objects, most of which are stored in the attic of the church. As the project had no budget, only basic preventive conservation measures were undertaken. The attic was thoroughly cleaned. The objects were dusted, surface dirt was removed and the paint stabilized. The objects were photographed and then neatly stored on new wooden shelving.

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Read more: Preventive Conservation in the Church of St. Joseph (Lazarus) on the Island of Čiovo: The short...

"The Meadow of Your Body" - conservation of contemporary artwork made using polymer foam

Author: Oskar Hanusek
Mentor: Grażyna Korpal, Professor

Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (Poland)
Study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art 
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of paintings, 6th study year  

Summary
The Meadow of Your Body was made by Maria Pinińska-Bereś in 1987. It is a horizontal, contemporary sculpture, with one element soft, made of cotton fabric. Originally it was filled with a "mattress" made of a sheet of polyurethane foam. The surface of the sculpture is covered with pink acrylic paint. The color and shape refers to the issues characteristic of Pinińska’s creations – femininity, feminism and eroticism. The main problem is the degradation of the polyurethane filling, which entirely lost its shape, density, elasticity and softness. Therefore the work of art lost its principal attributes.
In a broad archive of the artist, one can find detailed instructions about conservation treatments and specifications (also ideological) of used materials. The principal task was to remove the old filling, and replace it with a new material - that fulfils the artist’s ideas but is also durable. During the work, also other problems raised like the recognition of artist’s technology or the cleaning of acrylic surfaces. A poster was made to present the artist, the work itself and its conservation.

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Learning Outside the Classroom: Mastering the Basics of Scientific Research and the Conservation-Restoration Documentation

Authors: Bernarda Đurić, Nikolina Lovrić and Katarina Cvrlje
Mentor: Sagita Mirjam Sunara, Assistant Professor

University of Split, Arts Academy in Split (Croatia)
Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate Program in Conservation-Restoration 
1st year  

Summary
Through the compulsory course Methods of Research and Documentation in Conservation-Restoration first-year students are introduced to the methodology of scientific and practical research. They learn how to use scientific literature and to write seminars, scientific and professional papers. The major part of the course, however, is devoted to conservation-restoration documentation, from writing condition reports to interviewing contemporary artists. The course includes lectures, practical work, student presentations and group discussions. It also includes visits to libraries, museums and galleries, and this poster presents outcomes of those outside-the-classroom activities. The Artist in the Classroom project, through which students learn how to document information on contemporary artists' materials and techniques, is also presented.

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Practical training - Wall painting conservation project in the church of St. Mary of Pond in Gologorica (Istria)

Authors: Katarina Apolonio, Kristina Cvija and Ana Grđan 
Mentor: Neva Pološki, Assistant Professor 

University of Zagreb, Academy of Fine Arts (Croatia)
Integrated study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of paintings, 4th study year 

Summary
The conservation project in the church of St. Mary of Pond in Gologorica was thought out as practical training for students of the 3rd year, under the guidance of Assist. Prof. Neva Pološki. It was initiated primarily to prevent further deterioration of the already endangered mediaeval wall painting, that had been severely damaged by static movements of the building. Research conducted in the church included examination, investigation and documentation of both the building's and wall painting's state of preservation. The endeavour to detect original materials under the floor tiles inside the church resulted with fragments of wall painting with original plaster and paint layers. Fragments were further investigated in the Research Centre for Metal Industry – METRIS, in the Istrian County. The most endangered areas were preconsolidated and consolidated. Guest speaker in situ was restorer Bastian Hacker, who gave lectures on previously conducted investigations and their results that were part of his diploma thesis. Through his work, B. Hacker had set the fundations and guidelines for student investigations and conservation works.

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Solving secrets of two 17th century portraits; research on Anthony van Dyck artworks

Author: Anna Selerowicz
Mentor: Iwona Szmelter, Professor

Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (Poland)
Study programme: Conservation-Restoration of Works of Art
Specialization: conservation-restoration of easel paintings and polychromed wooden sculptures, 7th study year 

Summary
The multidisciplinary studies of two women portraits attributed to Anthony van Dyck were part of the conservation-restoration project. Portrait of unknown women and Portrait of Sebastian's Leerse second wife, from the National Museum in Gdańsk are both easel paintings. They are en trois quarts composition, in Italian-Spanish costumes. Number of analysis was conducted. IR shows alla prima paintings and X-ray analysis revealed large differences in chiaroscuro modelling. The primer of each painting is: in first-greyish (indicating Genoese period of Van Dyck’s output), in the second–white and red (Antwerp). The paintings are in a mixed technique: oil and casein tempera. Portrait of unknown women was created on canvas, later pasted on oak support. The painting was restored earlier in non-professional way. We have found similar portrait of Genoese aristocrat Elena Grimaldi-Cattaneo. The Portrait of Sebastian's Leerse second wife impresses with subtle glazes skill to model. The image is considered as author’s replica. Results of multidisciplinary research revealed the provenance, materials and techniques typical for Anthony van Dyck’s Genoese and Antwerpian period.

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Wood to gold, the appliance of metal leaves to wooden surfices

Author: Nika Maštruko
Mentor: Andrej Aranicki, MA, Associate Professor

University of Zagreb, Academy of Fine Arts (Croatia)
Integrated study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of paintings, 3rd study year  

Summary
As part of a curriculum of a course Conservation and restoration of polychrome wooden sculptures at OKiRU, a poster was made to present the process of mechanical gilding on wooden surfaces. The poster depicts techniques as well as materials used in water gilding or burnished gilding, oil-gilding or matt gilding and appliance of metal leaves using “gilders water” to achieve semi-burnished finish. To gild the wooden substrate a variety of metal leaves was used, including golden, silver, aluminum and schlagmetal leaves. Furthermore, the poster contains methods of preserving gilded surfaces, primarily those coated with silver but applicable to gold as well which include variety of protective coats, lacquers, varnishes and patinas. Moreover, methods of decorating gilded surfaces with coats and antique glazes are also presented as well as techniques of punching and incising.

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Structural conservation of a Flemish panel painting by Adriaen de Gryef: Stabilization of the support

Author: Joanna Zwinczak
Mentor: Grażyna Korpal, Professor

Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (Poland)
Study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art 
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of paintings, 6th study year

Summary
The conservation of a Flemish panel painting The birds hunting by Adriaen de Gryef work was performed in the Paintings Conservation Atelier at Wawel Castle under the direction of prof. Grażyna Korpal in collaboration with specialists from the Fine Arts Academy in Cracow and Getty Institute.
Due to the wood's natural movements the panel had curved into a barrel shape. The previous, incorrect treatments of its shape, damaged the object. A stiff, hard beech cradle had been attached to its reverse. The construction, caused cracks of the support and the remaining layers. Consequently, each of the ensuing elements of the support twisted in different direction.
The conservation started with removing the cradle. Then, the elements of the panel were glued. The treatment was held on a gluing table which hold them together in a stable position and then the elements were corrected outside of the table. The gaps and splits of the wood were filled with mixture of fish glue and phenolic resin microbaloons. The climate frame for the object was designed and the profiles sustaining the panel inside will be cut. After that, an unattached support will be installed.

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The splitting treatment on the obverse of the right, smaller wing of the Łącko Triptych from the beginning of the 16th century

Author: Maria Kisiel
Mentor: Marta Lempart-Geratowska, Associate Professor

Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (Poland)
Study programme: Conservation and Restoration of Art 
Specialization: Conservation-restoration of paintings

Summary
The aim of my presentation is to show the splitting treatment research, conservation and restoration of a panel paintings which were a part of the Łącko Tryptych(Lesser Poland). The paintings were on the obverse of the right wing. The 16th century underlayer depicting St. Peter and St. Nicolas was covered in 17th century by a baroque painting with the image of St. Rosalia.
My conservation programme included the seperation of the two painting layers and transferring the most recent one to a new support. As this intervention was very difficult and risky, the capabilities of the splitting treatment were preceded by very precise research.
In my presentation I want to show the splitting treatment, which consists of: 
• facing the upper paint layer 
• softening of the baroque layer by temperature and chemical substances 
• a step by step undercutting using scalpel 
• adding expansion putty on the back and lining 
• embedding the transferred baroque painting to the new lime support in the shape of the original one 
• filling the looses 
• cleaning the residue, varnish and dirt of the gothic painting.
Despite the fact that the splitting treatment is a quite controversial method, in my opinion it is worth looking into.

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10th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE CONSERVATION-RESTORATION PROGRAMS, DUBROVNIK 2013

Below you will find posters in PDF format that were presented at the 10th International Conference of Conservation-Restoration Programs. Only one poster abstract is available in English.

Svojstva gradbenih materijala i tehnologija izrade polimentne pozlate na drvu

Autorica: Monika Lolić
Mentorica: Nađa Lučić, stručna suradnica
Sveučilište u Dubrovniku, Odjel za umjetnost i restauraciju 
Smjer: konzervacija-restauracija drva 
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sažetak
Edukativni poster na kojem je prezentirana tehnologija izrade polimentne pozlate na drvenom nositelju. Prikazani su relevantna fizikalno-kemijska svojstva svih gradbenih elemenata od drvenog nositelja preko sloja tutkalno-kredne osnove, polimenta do pozlate, te fizikalno-kemijski procesi u postupcima izrade polimentne pozlate na drvenim nositeljima. Sažeto je opisan i konzervatorsko-restauratorski zahvat na drvenom, pozlaćenom Križu iz župne crkve Pomoćnice kršćana u Orebiću koji je i bio povod za izučavanje tehnologije pozlate.

POSTER U PDF FORMATU DOSTUPAN JE OVDJE.

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Making the Wall Painting: Materials and Technology

Authors: Kristina Cvija, Ana Grđan, Ivan Vanja Martinović, Mirna Međeral, Ivana Pavleka and Tila Pavličević
Mentor: Neva Pološki, MA, Assistant Professor 
Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">

Summary
A wall painting was made in the wall painting workshop ORKU in order to present the materials and the technology, which is crucial for understanding the changes that occurred over time, as well as for choosing appropriate conservation and restoration materials and methods. Practical application of technological instructions from literature made it possible to analyse the characteristics of different kinds of lime mortar when applied in different ways. Several drawing copying techniques were applied, as well as several fresco and secco techniques. Two months after the wall painting had been made, the hardness of used mortars and the resistance of the painted layer to rubbing were tested by empyrical methods. A poster was made to present the process of making the wall painting, with the materials used and knowledge gained.

DOWNLOAD THE POSTER IN PDF FORMAT (THE TEXT IS WRITTEN IN CROATIAN).

Read more: Making the Wall Painting: Materials and Technology