The Conservation Study of a Funeral Coat of Arms (huvudbaner) with a Focus on Cleaning and Consolidation

Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis

Authors

  • Angela Caira Uzcategui University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Anastasiya Serdyukova University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Ana Vega Ramiro University of Gothenburg, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37522/aaav.108.2023.150

Keywords:

water-sensitive, egg white tempera, hydrogels, consolidation, smalt blue, lamp black

Abstract

The cleaning and consolidation of egg white tempera were evaluated to help conserve a polychrome sculpture, the funeral coat of arms of Pehr Stålhammar, dated 1701. This coat of arms was a wooden structure of carved pine and lime wood, grounded with a chalk and rabbit skin glue ground layer, and polychromed with egg white tempera in combination with smalt blue, lamp black, and red pigments.

Due to the difficulties of preserving the physical properties of egg white tempera, it was necessary to evaluate the consolidation effects in terms of color, gloss, and cohesion. Four consolidants were chosen: JunFunori, sturgeon glue, Aquazol 200, and Lascaux’s Medium for Consolidation. Among these, Aquazol 200 and JunFunori performed more efficiently.

Another type of difficulty occurred during the conservation cleaning treatment process, especially with the blue paint, which is more fragile and has hydrophobic qualities. To conceive a safe cleaning method, various cleaning techniques and materials were tested with a microscope, scanning electron microscopy, and an artificial aging chamber. The investigation showed that the dry cleaning method and use of hydrogels could work together and target different tasks.

Author Biographies

Angela Caira Uzcategui, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

is a painting conservator in current private practice in the 3D documentation of artworks and conservation of easel paintings. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a specialization in painted surfaces from Göteborgs Universitetet. Her main focus in research is the consolidation of egg-white paint and its ageing properties.

Anastasiya Serdyukova, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. Before becoming an art conservator, she studied fine art at the Florence Academy of Art. In 2019, Anastasiya earned her bachelor’s degree in conservation from the Art Academy in Kyiv. In 2021, she completed a master’s degree at the University of Gothenburg with research on cleaning materials that could work on water-sensitive surfaces.

Ana Vega Ramiro, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

did her bachelor’s degree in conservation and restoration of cultural objects at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and she specialized with an MS in the conservation of paintings at the University of Gothenburg, where she researched for her master’s thesis the cleaning of water-gilded frames using hydrogels. She currently works at Nina Olivier’s conservation studio in Stockholm.

Wall painting in the church of Saint Leonard in Mala Ligonja (Slovenia), fragment. Photo by Eva Marija Fras, 2020

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Published

20/03/2023

How to Cite

Uzcategui, A. C., Serdyukova, A., & Ramiro, A. V. (2023). The Conservation Study of a Funeral Coat of Arms (huvudbaner) with a Focus on Cleaning and Consolidation: Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis. Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis, (108), 78–100. https://doi.org/10.37522/aaav.108.2023.150

Issue

No. 108 (2023): Art and Architecture Conservation Training in Europe: Relevant Experiences and Mastering Conservation Methods

Section

Articles

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