D17mc29-CF-2017_Milano, Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, G. B. Piranesi, Frontispiece of the series Ioannis Baptistae Piranesi Antiquariorum regiae societatis Londiniensis socii De Romanorum magnificentia et architectvra, inv. 2114 s

Facilitated description:

 

The engraving on paper was made by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 1761. 
Engraving is the printing of an image from a matrix (metal image model). 
Engraving is the first page of a book.
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 and stains. 
They filled the tears and holes with Japanese paper (very thin and light paper).
They have eliminated 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 work on Piranesi's engraving began with dry cleaning with a brush and rubbers to remove surface deposits, followed by four washings in hot deionized water and scalpel removal of adhesive residues. Subsequently, the tears and gaps were compensated with Japanese paper and adhesive and the previous restoration works were removed. The chromatic additions were made with previously dyed paper and bonding was done. Finally, gradual moisture was added and the work was dried with absorbent paper, non-acid cardboard and the aid of a weight.