7mc16_TE_2011_Moncalieri, Castello, Two young people playing and singing in the garden

Facilitated description:

 

Two young people playing and singing in the garden is a painting on canvas made in 1700.
The painting is kept at the Castle of Moncalieri. 
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the painting in 2011.
The restorers dismantled the painting from the frame.
They cleaned the painting of dust. 
They eliminated the folds of the canvas and repaired the tears. 
They repositioned the painting on the frame (wooden structure that stands behind the painting and serves to support the painting).
After the restorers cleaned the front part of the painting.
They filled the color gaps with putty (plaster and glue layer). 
They painted the putty. 
Eventually they painted the painting to protect it from the sun's rays and dust. 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

Restoration

The painting was dismantled from the frame to facilitate the cleaning of the canvas and supporting structure from inconsistent atmospheric particle deposits and organic sedimentation with soft bristle brushes and micro-aspirator. Once the canvas was placed on an interim frame, the deformations of the surface layers were smoothed out with humidification. It was then carried out the consolidation of the preparatory layers and the retensioning of the canvas on the original frame. In addition, the frame was subjected to a biocidal treatment, plastering and smoothing of the inner edges.

A cleaning of the protective film was carried out on the painting, which involved the removal of inconsistent deposits of atmospheric particulate matter by means of soft bristle brushes and micro-aspirators and the removal of consistent sedimentation of fatty dust and retouching with cotton swabs. Subsequently, new plastering was carried out in imitation of the surface and the old still functional ones were maintained. A layer of paint was then applied, before chromatic integration with watercolor colors and paint colors, and a final protective was applied. Finally, on the frame was carried out an intervention of consolidation of the wooden structure and a revision of the assemblies. An adhesive was then spread on the areas with adhesion defects, the surface was cleaned, the filling of the preparation and leaf gaps and the chromatic integration with watercolor and gold shell colors were carried out.