D17mc04-CF-2017_Milano, Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, H. Goltzius, Fetonte, inv. 459 d

Facilitated description:

 

Phaeton is an engraving on paper. 
Engraving is the printing of an image from a matrix (metal image model). 
The engraving represents Phaethon falling into the river Po.
Hendrik Goltius made the engraving in 1588. 
The engraving is kept at the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan and is part of the Pogliaghi collection. 
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the engraving in 2017. 
The restoration students participated in the restoration. 
The restorers cleaned the engraving of dust. 
They filled the tears and holes with Japanese paper (very thin and light paper).
They removed the old restoration work.
The missing parts were covered with dyed paper.
In the end, they washed and dried the incision.
The restorers put the ininicision under some weights to eliminate the folds. 

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

The restoration was part of an ordinary teaching project on some engravings of the Pogliaghi Fund, kept at the Ambrosiana Library, which involved students in the training course on library, archival, parchment and photographic materials (degree course in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage).

Restoration

The intervention on Goltzius' incision began with the cleaning with brushes, microaspiration and scalpel to remove surface deposits, followed by the application of gel to eliminate the strip of paper on the verso. Subsequently, the folds were consolidated and the tears and gaps were compensated with Japanese paper and adhesive. Subsequently, the previous restoration works were removed and the chromatic integration with previously dyed paper was carried out. Finally, a washing and drying with absorbent paper, non-acid cartons and the aid of a weight were carried out.