21mc027-TE-2008_Turin, Galleria Sabauda, J. F. Van Bloemen, P. Costanzi, Hurricane in the Roman countryside, inv. 343, cat. 287

Facilitated description:

 

Hurricane in the Roman countryside is a painting. 
The painters Jan Frans Van Bloemen and Placido Costanzi painted the painting in 1742. 
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. 
The restorers cleaned the painting of dust.
They removed the folds from the painting.
They have eliminated the old grouting (layer of plaster and glue that serves to cover the lack of color). They made new grouts. 
They painted the plastering with watercolors.
They painted the painting to protect it from the sun's rays and dust. 
Then they cleaned the frame of the dust. 
They glued the parts of wood that were coming off.
They filled the wooden gaps with stucco (plaster and glue) and rebuilt some parts.
They gilded the stucco and painted the frame. 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

Restoration

The restoration began with a cleaning operation from dust deposits by vacuum cleaner and with a slight expansion of the support in order to stretch the canvas. Before cleaning the pictorial surface, tests were carried out for the solubility and removal of the deposit materials. The consolidation of fragile areas and the removal of overflowing grouting were then carried out. The plasterings concerned the perimeter areas of the painting with subsequent imitation of the surface. The bases were made with watercolor colors to facilitate the retouching phase with paint. Following the first painting, the painting was supplemented and then the final spray painting was carried out.

 

Frame
The golden frame was initially subjected to the stoppage of the decoese parts with acrylic resin. Subsequently, the accumulations of dirt were removed and the fillings of the gaps and the reconstruction of the missing decorative elements were carried out. The most important stuccoed areas were treated with red bolus, golden leaf with gouache technique and burnished. The original gilding abrasions were supplemented with shell gold. Finally, a final protective varnish was applied.

 

Bibliography

S. Villano, Sheet 9.9 in De Van Dyck in Bellotto. Splendeurs à la cour de Savoie, C. E. Spantigati, P. Astrua, A. M. Bava, S. Damiano, Torino, Allemandi, 2009, pp. 209-210.