49-TE-2008_Moncalieri, Castello, F. Romero, Aspasia, inv. 5196

Facilitated description:

 

 

Aspasia is a painting on canvas made by the painter Romero in the late 1800s.
The painting depicts Aspasia without clothes. 
Aspasia was the famous lover of Pericles, a politician of ancient Greece.
The painting is kept at the Castle of Moncalieri.
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the painting in 2008. 
The restorers have dismantled the painting from the frame (wooden structure that stands behind the painting and serves to support it).
They removed the canvas patches from previous restorations that stood behind the painting.
They removed the folds of the canvas and reassembled the painting on the frame.
The restorers cleaned the painting from the yellowed paint.
They filled the color gaps with putty (plaster and glue layer).
They painted the stucco with watercolors.
They painted the painting to protect it from the sun's rays and dust.
In the end the restorers cleaned the frame.
They glued the parts of wood that were coming off.
They gilded the parts without gilding.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

Restoration

The intervention began by untying the work from the frame and removing the patches on the support related to previous restorations. Subsequently, the correct planarity was returned to the painting through the addition of moisture and vaporization. Before the retensioning on the frame, perimeter strips of fabric with adhesive were applied. The painting was then repositioned on the original wooden support, tensioned and anchored with brass saddlery.
The cleaning of the pictorial film has helped to eliminate the painting, related to a recent restoration, and the gray film present on the complexion of the figure. Subsequently, brush painting and grouting of the gaps were carried out, then chromatically integrated with watercolor and varnish colors. A final painting was then sprayed. Finally, the frame was subjected to consolidation, cleaning of the oxidised protective, grouting, pictorial reintegration with bolus, gold leaf and watercolour and final painting.