05-CR-2009_Nichelino, Hunting lodge of Stupinigi, G. B. Ugliengo, Boiserie Library and Anti-library

Facilitated description:

 

The library of the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi is divided into two rooms, the library and the anti-library (the room before the library).
The walls of the two rooms are covered with decorations and large wardrobes in gilded wood and painted blue.
The wooden decorations that cover the walls are called by the French name boiserie.
Giovanni Battista Ugliengo created the cabinets and decorations of the library in 1739.
At first the library was at Palazzo Reale in Turin, then in 1853, it was moved to Stupinigi.
Gabriele Capello built the library in Stupinigi's hunting lodge.
The Centre for Conservation and Restoration "La Venaria Reale" restored the library in 2009-2010.
The restorers have brushed a product against insects that eat wood.
Then they cleaned the entire surface of the dust.
They filled the color gaps with a layer of stucco (plaster and glue) colored with watercolors.
They cleaned the golden parts and painted the entire surface to protect it from the sun's rays and dust.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

This intervention is part of a maintenance and restoration project that came to the JRC for direct assignment of the Regional Directorate for Cultural Heritage and Landscape of Piedmont (2008). The intervention is included in the "Three-year programming 2004-2006 of the lotto game" for the year 2006 Cap. 7837, promoted by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities. 

 

Restoration

The restoration of the boiserie of the library and the anti-library of the hunting lodge in Stupinigi began with the disinfestation of wooden surfaces.
During this phase, the canvases of the overdoors were removed to carry out the cleaning and disinfestation of the partition wall between the Library and the Anti-library.

In agreement with the Directorate for Works, a number of areas have been identified for pilot restoration work (Library: two pilasters with Corinthian capitals adjacent to the partition wall with the Anti-library at the window of the main façade; Anti-library: two concave pilasters that surround the window adjacent to the partition wall with the library at the window of the main facade).
It was then performed the cleaning of the colors from atmospheric deposits and the pictorial reintegration of the abraded areas. Subsequently the gaps were grouted and chromatically intoned with watercolor colors and colored pencils.
The intervention on gilding required a differentiated procedure: in the parts supplemented by Capello, the purple gilding has been thinned to eliminate oxidation and restore continuity with the ambient gilding made with leaf. On the golden gold leaf parts, on the other hand, the purple additions have been removed.
Finally, the integration of gold leaf gilding gaps involved testing two different solutions: mimetic integration with gold leaf applied on mission; the application of micaceous gold powder mixed with watercolour.
At the end of the operation, a protective varnish film was applied to the entire surface.