2mc22-TE-2011_Venaria Reale, Royal Palace, Portrait of Amadeus II, inv. R 1511 (ownership of Racconigi Castle)

Facilitated description:

 

The portrait of Amadeus II (second) is a painting on canvas. 
The painting was made in 1600-1650.
The painting is kept at the Reggia di Venaria. 
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the painting in 2011 along with 35 other paintings from the Racconigi Castle.
The restorers velinated the painting (put a thin paper to protect the parts of color that were peeling off). 
In this way they managed to transport the painting to the laboratories of Venaria. 
After the restorers cleaned up behind the painting.
They repaired the tears of the canvas by inserting small pieces of canvas behind the painting.
They lined the painting (mounted a reinforcement canvas behind the painting).
The restorers have restored the front part of the painting.
They eliminated the paintings of the old restorations that covered the background and the inscription at the bottom left. 
They painted the lacks of color with watercolors. 
They painted the painting to protect it from the sun's rays and dust. 
In the end they restored the frame.
They did a treatment against insects that eat wood.
They cleaned the frame. 
They filled the wooden gaps with a layer of putty (plaster and glue). 
They painted the putty. 
They painted the frame to protect it from the sun's rays and dust.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

The portrait of Amadeus II, one of the oldest in the series, was in a poor state of preservation. The painting has been restored together with other works from the Castle of Racconigi (property of the Castle of Racconigi, Royal Residences of Savoy - Regional Directorate of National Museums Piedmont). The project included a first phase of structural consolidation, in view of the exhibition in the visit path of the Reggia di Venaria, and a second phase dedicated to the aesthetic restitution and insights into the conservative events. Thanks to the present restoration, the repaintings that covered the architectural elements of the seabed and the ancient identifying inscription have been removed.

Restoration

The intervention began with the velinatura to stop the defects of adhesion of the pictorial film in view of the transfer from the Castle of Racconigi to the laboratories of the Restoration Center. We proceeded with the disassembly of the support, the reinforcement of the support structures and the cleaning of the incoherent deposits by micro-suction of the verso and dusting of the recto. Subsequently, the deformations of the textile support were resolved, the surface was consolidated with adhesive and controlled contribution of pressure and heat and the lacerations of the canvas were compensated. In addition, perimeter strips of reinforced canvas have been applied on the verso. Finally, the re-tensioning and application of the flattened and restored labels on the back of the canvas were carried out.
During the first phase of the intervention, a general intonation of the gaps with watercolor colors was carried out in such a way as to lower the visual disturbance in view of the exposure in the Palace. In agreement with the management of the works, the gaps were stuccoed and tuned to watercolor with temporary additions to be concluded and perfected in the second phase of the restoration. Finally, a light protective was applied. 

The frame has been subjected to a biocidal treatment with permethrin application, consolidation, cleaning and structural rehabilitation with the addition of reinforcement elements. The missing portions of wood were compensated with epoxy resin and the gaps were plastered and then intoned with watercolor colors. Finally, a protective layer has been added with a UV filter.

 

Bibliography

- L. Gallo, S. Padovani, The "wonderful gallery" of the castle of Moncalieri, today Racconigi, in Chronicle 4. The neu_ART project: studies and applications. Neutron and X-ray tomography and imaging for cultural heritage, edited by Marco Nervo, Turin, Editris, 2013, p. 72-75;
- R. Medico, Methodological choices and motivations of the restauri, in Chronicle 4. The neu_ART project: studies and applications. Neutron and X-ray tomography and imaging for cultural heritage, edited by Marco Nervo, Turin, Editris, 2013, p. 76;
- P. Buscaglia, M. Nervo, J. Corsi, C. Ricci, Digital radiography as a support tool for knowledge and the definition of lines of intervention: the portraits of the Savoy house of the Racconigi castle, in Chronicle 4. The neu_ART project: studies and applications. Neutron and X-ray tomography and imaging for cultural heritage, edited by Marco Nervo, Turin, Editris, 2013, p 77-87.