10-TE-2005_Venaria Reale, Reggia di Venaria, J. Miel, Going to the woods, inv. D742 299 (Owned by Museo Civico d'Arte Antica di Torino - Palazzo Madama)

Facilitated description: 

 

"Going to the woods" is a painting on canvas and represents a hunting scene.
Jan Miel painted the painting in 1659-1661.
The painting is kept in Diana's room of the Reggia di Venaria.
The Conservation and Restoration Center "La Venaria Reale" restored the painting in 2005-2007 for the reopening of the Reggia di Venaria.
The restorers mounted the painting on a new frame (wooden structure that stands behind the painting and serves to support the painting).
They cleaned the painting with chemicals and eliminated the putty (plaster and glue layer) put during previous restorations.
They filled the color gaps with new grouting (plaster and glue layer).
They painted the plastering with watercolors.
Eventually they painted the painting to protect it from the sun's rays and dust.

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention: 

 

The canvas Going to the woods by Jan Miel was restored on the occasion of the reopening of the Reggia di Venaria and the exhibition in its original location in the Hall of Diana. The painting, part of a series of 10 works with a hunting theme, has been affected by several movements during its conservative history and has come to the Royal Palace from the Civic Museum of Ancient Art in Turin - Palazzo Madama. The restoration was preceded by an in-depth diagnostic campaign, which allowed to know more precisely the executive technique, the preparatory drawing and to identify the previous restoration interventions. 

 

Restoration

The work was resized and therefore reduced in size compared to the original stucco frame present in Diana's room. 
The restoration of the support began with the mechanical removal of the patches and the integration of an additional canvas to restore the original size of the work. The painting was then mounted on the new expansion frame.
On the pictorial film, the intervention provided for a chemical cleaning to eliminate the old altered retouching (concentrated more in the lower part of the painting) and a scalpel mechanics to remove the previous unsuitable grouting. Painting with a protective purpose and new grouting were therefore carried out. In addition, in order to return a correct reading of the work, a chromatic adjustment with paint colours has been provided for. Finally, the canvas insert added to the side was brought to tone with watercolor colors and a protective varnish was sprayed.

 

Bibliography

- D. Zanardo, Tabs 8.1-8.1o in The Royal Palace of Venaria Reale and the Savoy. Art, magnificence and history of a European court, edited by E. Castelnuovo, catalogue of the exhibition (Reggia di Venaria, 12 October 2007 - 30 March 2008), pp. 143-155;
Of the hunts I give thee the high empire: restorations for Diana's room at the Venaria Reale, in ‘Archivio 2’, edited by C. E. Spantigati, Nardini Editore, Florence, 2008.