23-TE-2007_Venaria, Reggia, C. Dauphin, Blessed Amedeo distributes his goods to the poor, inv. 7043 (ownership of the Royal Museums of Turin)

Facilitated description: 

 

Blessed Amedeo distributes his goods to the poor is a painting made by Charles Dauphin in 1674.
The painting represents Amedeo in the center with a rich cloak as he gives his possessions to the poor.
The painting is kept at the Reggia di Venaria.
The Centre for Conservation and Restoration "La Venaria Reale" (CCR) restored the painting in 2007 for the reopening of the Reggia di Venaria.
The restorers cleaned the painting of dust and yellowed paint. They have eliminated the paintings of the old restoration works.
They filled the missing color parts with putty (a layer of plaster and glue). They colored the putty with watercolors.
They painted the painting to protect it from the sun's rays and dust. Then they cleaned the frame (wooden structure that stands behind the painting and serves to support the painting). They spread on the frame a product to eliminate insects that feed on wood.
In the end they cleaned the frame and filled the wooden gaps with stucco. They colored the stucco with watercolors and powdered gold.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

Restoration of the painting Blessed Amedeo distributes his goods to the poor, inv. 7043 was held on the occasion of the exhibition at the inaugural exhibition of the Reggia di Venaria The Palace of Venaria and the Savoy. Art and magnificence and history of a European court (Reggia di Venaria, 12 October 2007 - 30 March 2008). The painting, owned by the Royal Palace of Turin - Royal Museums, was loaned to the Royal Palace for exhibition during the visit. 

Restoration 

The cleaning of the paint was limited to the removal of particulate deposits and greasy powders with an aqueous solution. Subsequently, retouching was carried out, eliminating the overflowing portions and chromatically tuning the altered ones. For the aesthetic restitution of the work, a camouflage integration has been made, in analogy with the last restoration work. Finally, a protective paint was sprayed.
On the frame, a maintenance intervention was carried out that provided for the elimination of atmospheric dust deposits by aspiration and the removal of purples with scalpels. Consolidation, filling of the gaps of the edges and pictorial integration with watercolor and gold powder colors were then carried out.

Since the original textile support, attached to a canvas, did not present structural problems, it was cleaned of dust deposits. The supporting wooden structure has been dusted and treated with petroleum permethrin brushed.

 

Bibliography

A. Merlotti, S. Damiano, Paper 1.13, in The Palace of Venaria and the Savoy. Art and magnificence and history of a European court, edited by E. Castelnuovo, Torino, Allemandi, pp.13-14.