23-TE-2010_Venaria Reale, Royal Palace, Portrait of Carlo Emanuele II, R 6467 (ownership of Racconigi Castle)

Facilitated description:

 

The portrait of Carlo Emanuele II (second) is a painting on canvas. 
The painting was made during the 1700s. 
The painting is kept at the Reggia di Venaria. 
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the painting in 2010.
The restorers have reinforced 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 replaced the old grouting (plaster and glue layer that serves to fill the color gaps). 
They painted the grouts.
The restorers painted the painting to protect it from the sun's rays and dust. 
In the end they cleaned and reinforced the frame. 
They painted the frame to protect it from the sun's rays and dust.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

The painting, owned by the Castello di Racconigi (Residenze Royali Sabaude - Regional Directorate of Piedmont National Museums), was granted to the Reggia di Venaria to be exhibited in the permanent visit path.

Restoration

The intervention began with manual tensioning on the support structure with wedges. Subsequently, work was carried out on the pictorial film with a removal of the residues of altered resin and protein substance (probably related to a previous restoration intervention). Compensation for deficiencies was made only in the presence of grouting that was no longer suitable. A layer of paint was then applied to increase the effectiveness of consolidation and saturate the pictorial film. The chromatic integration was performed with watercolor colors for grouting and with paint colors for the oldest renovations and abrasions. Finally, a final protective UV filter was applied to slow down the oxidation and chromatic alteration of the material. 
On the frame a consolidation of the wooden structure was carried out, a revision of the assemblies and the slits were compensated. Subsequently, the adhesion defects were consolidated and the gold leaf was cleaned with warm water swabs. Finally, the gaps were stuccoed and chromatic integration was performed with watercolor colors and gold in shell.