Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

Paper discusses a concept and conservation methodology of the XVII. century curvilinear canvas painting „Adoration of the Magi” from the Saint-Aubain Cathedral church in Namur (Belgium). Atypical form of the painting bowed in the horizontal plane, adapted to a, wall and its enormous size (3.70 x 4.50 m) required using some innovative technologies and materials. Restoration work required access to both the face and the back of the picture. But how to overturn the painting? How to strengthen its support? How to tight. it? Such problems can be solved only by the interdisciplinary collaboration of a team of professionals. In this way decisions about the conservation were discussed in the group of experts from various disciplines. The article focuses o! n the problem of curvilinear canvas stretching, which is presented fro m different points of view. In the council participated restorers, scientist and engineers. Finally, we agreed that the basic premise of the conservation process was a detailed analysis of the canvas shape and its preservation on each step of the conservation works. The concept required construction of two curved platforms: concave and convex. The new system of the canvas overturning was also designed. An innovating method of strengthening of the canvas vertical direction during lining process by using Kevlar fibres was applied. The XVII. century stretcher frame was preserved as an example of historical construction. The new stretching system was built out of the original stretcher frame. The conservation works were finished in 2014, the painting was put in the frame and fixed on the wall. The optical analysis of its shape achieved one year after showed that its state is stable.

Paper discusses a concept and conservation methodology of the XVIIIth century curvilinear canvas painting ‘Adoration of the Magi’ from the Saint–Aubain Cathedral church in Namur (Belgium). Atypical form of the painting bowed in the horizontal plane, adapted to the apse wall and its very large size (3.70 x 4.50 m) required using some innovative technologies and materials. The basic premise of the conservation process was a detailed analysis of the canvas shape and its preservation on each step of the conservation works. The concept required construction of two curved platforms: concave and convex. The new system of the canvas overturning was also designed. An innovative method of strengthening of the canvas during lining process in vertical direction by using Kevlar fibres was applied. Required strengthening and modification of the stretching frame is also discussed.

curvilinear, large-size, lining, stretching, Kevlar fibres

Paper discusses large size canvas paintings stretching methods and deformations and damages specific for large canvas resulting from an incorrect stretching. Analysis of the preservation state of a wooden stretcher construction and its functionality was an important step in development of the program of conservation work. The case study of M. H Loders painting „Adoration of the Magi” (XVIII c.) from the cathedral Saint - Aubain in Namur (Belgium) is presented. The painting is exhibited 5,5 m above the floor and has a unique shape, as the wooden stretcher frame is adjusted to the round apse walls. Thus usual direct inspection was difficult due to poor access to the reverse side of the painting. Preliminary conclusions on the construction and preservation state of the stretcher frame were drawn on the basis of a thorough inspection of the painting surface. Actual shape of the painting and precise stretchers dimensions were measured with a laser scanner. More information concerning the stretcher frame construction was obtained from a simple micro-camera system combined with LED lighting introduced from the canvas reverse side.

3D Laser Scanner, Deformation, Large - Size Painting, Wooden Stretcher Frame

The paper presents the application of various 3D imagining methods to study the state of the mural painting in the dome of Blessed Ladislaus' Chapel of St. Anne's Church in Warsaw. The temple was built on the embankment of the Vistula river in the XV-th century. The chapel was added to the nave in the XVII-th century. From the beginning this location of the church caused a lot of structural problems. The church stability was disturbed due to digging an underground tunnel nearby in the years 1947-49. The Ladislaus' Chapel, situated close to the tunnel on the side of the escarpment was the most endangered. The current rescue work of the mural painting of the chapel dome required an accurate measurement and inventory of the architectural structure. The dome was measured using various methods: laser scanning and photogrammetry. As a result, we obtained 4 models of the chapel dome, which could be combined and compared.

Wśród europejskiego dziedzictwa obrazów wielkoformatowych można wyróżnić szczególną grupę płócien nieplanarnych. W trakcie prowadzonych prac badawczych i konserwatorskich należy odpowiedzieć na pytania o pierwotny kształt aktualnie zdeformowanego obrazu, stopień zniekształcenia płótna, wpływ pełzania na deformację oraz bezpieczny sposób przywrócenia właściwego kształtu i zabezpieczenia przed jego zmianą w przyszłości. Wielkoformatowe obrazy na płótnie podlegają znaczącym deformacjom wynikającym z procesów reologicznych aktywowanych zmianami wilgotności i temperatury. Deformacje te narastają wraz z upływem czasu pod wpływem sił wynikających z ciężaru własnego i napięcia na krośnie. Efekty te mają tym większe znaczenie im większa jest powierzchnia obrazu. Ich konserwacja i prawidłowe napięcie stanowią szczególnie trudne wyzwanie konserwatorskie. Wszystkie te problemy pojawiły się w trakcie konserwacji obrazu „Pokłon Trzech Króli” H.M. Lodera, który znajduje się w katedrze w Namur (Belgia). Obraz o wymiarach 3.70m x 4.50m zawieszony był w prezbiterium kościoła i miał wygiętą formę, zbliżoną do łuku ściany absydy. Strzałka łuku krosna wynosiła 37cm. Do najpoważniejszych problemów należały katastrofalne w skutkach deformacje osłabionego mechanicznie podobrazia. Płótno pod wpływem własnego ciężaru i zachodzących procesów reologicznych wyciągnęło się i zaczęło obwisać, tak że jego nadmiar zebrał się w części centralnej u dołu malowidła. W trakcie prowadzonych prac opracowana została metodyka pomiaru, korekcji kształtu i napinania obrazów wielkoformatowych. Po wykonaniu zdalnych pomiarów optycznych zawieszonego na ścianie obrazu (globalny i lokalny skaning laserowy, fotogrametria) dokonano identyfikacji zdeformowanego i pierwotnego kształtu płótna. Następnie zaproponowano nowatorski sposób wzmocnienia i napinania płótna polegający na wprowadzeniu w warstwie dublażowej układu nici aramidowych poprowadzonych wzdłuż tworzących zidentyfikowanej powierzchni prostokreślnej płótna. Wielokrotnie większy moduł sprężystości nici aramidowych niż płótna dublażowego umożliwia przeniesienie dominującej części naprężeń wynikających z napięcia płótna i ciężaru własnego obrazu. W połączeniu ze znacznie mniejszą wrażliwością aramidu na zmiany wilgotności i temperatury znacząco zmniejsza się także intensywność procesów reologicznych ograniczając pełzanie, obwisanie i utrwalając krzywoliniowy kształt obrazu.

Religious art objects preserved in the form of curved canvas paintings present a very interesting subject for the research, both from technical and conservation points of view. The work concentrates on theoretical and experimental analysis of mechanically correct stretching of curvilinear canvas to avoid folding and buckling of paintings. It is shown that treating curvilinear canvas as a ruled surface might be a very promising solution. Reverse engineering can help to discover the ruled surface shape adequate to the individual curved painting.

canvas, stretching, ruled surface, religious paintings

Paper discusses a concept and conservation methodology of the XVIIIth century curvilinear canvas painting “Adoration of the Magi” from the Saint – Aubain Cathedral church in Namur (Belgium). Atypical form of the painting bowed in the horizontal plane, adapted to the apse wall and its very large size (3.70 x 4.50 m) required using some innovative technologies and materials. The basic premise of the conservation process was a detailed analysis of the canvas shape and its preservation on each step of the conservation works. The concept required construction of two curved platforms: concave and convex. The new system of the canvas overturning was also designed. An innovative method of strengthening of the canvas during lining process in vertical direction by using Kevlar fibres was applied. Required strengthening and modification of the stretching frame is also discussed.

curvilinear, large-size canvas painting, lining, stretching, Kevlar fibres