21mc018-TE-2008_Turin, Galleria Sabauda, J. C. D. Van Loo, Dintorni della Venaria Reale with sunset effects, inv. 501, cat. 351

Facilitated description:
 

Surroundings of the Venaria Reale with sunset effects is a painting on canvas. 
The painting represents the city of Venaria at sunset. 
Jules Cesar Denis Van Loo painted the painting in 1793. 
The painting is kept at the Galleria Sabauda in Turin. 
The restorers of the La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the painting in 2008.
Scientists at the Venaria Center have done scientific analysis to study how the painting was made, the materials used and to see where the restorations of the past are.
The restorers cleaned the painting of dust and eliminated the paint. 
They filled the shortcomings of painting the edges with stucco (plaster and cola). 
They painted the stucco with watercolors. 
They also restored the frame. 
They cleaned the frame and filled the wooden gaps with stucco (plaster and glue layer). 
They did the gilding where they were missing. 
In the end they put a varnish to protect the painting and the frame from the sun's rays and dust. 

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

Restoration

The restoration of the painting began with the removal of dust deposits by means of micro-aspirators and soft brushes. Before starting the intervention on the pictorial film, the painting was subjected to investigations aimed at knowledge of the executive technique, the nature of the materials used and the non-original superimposed substances. It was then performed the cleaning with solvents to remove the paint and the plastering of the perimeter deficiencies with plaster of Bologna and glue, then integrated with watercolor colors. Finally, a final painting was applied.

 

Frame
For the restoration of the frame, suitable solvents have been identified for thinning the protective layer and altered repaintings. Removal and neutralization of the solution was performed with acetone. After the cleaning, the missing parts were puttyed with a plaster based on plaster and rabbit glue. The bolus, similar in colour to the original, was applied to the grouting and the gold leaf was then burnished using a gouache technique. The new gold foil was coated in watercolour colours, bringing the brightness of the additions to the same intensity as the original parts. Finally, a protective varnish was applied by spraying. 

Bibliography

- S. Villano, Sheet 9.20 in De Van Dyck in Bellotto. Splendeurs à la cour de Savoie, C. E. Spantigati, P. Astrua, A. M. Bava, S. Damiano, Turin, Allemandi, 2009, p. 221.