Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.17018/portal.2017.4
Restorations of Vittore Carpaccio’s Polyptych of St. Martin from Zadar Cathedral
Jadranka Baković
orcid.org/0000-0003-3730-8554
; Hrvatski restauratorski zavod, Restauratorski odjel Zadar, Hrvatska
Sažetak
One of the early works of Vittore Carpaccio, the Polyptych of St. Martin originated in the late 15th century. It consists of six panel paintings depicting individual saints arranged in two tiers. Originally, the paintings were enclosed in a carved wooden frame, which has since been lost. Devastation of the polyptych began as early as the 18th century. Over time, it has undergone multiple interventions by unknown hands, in the course of which the paintings’ dimensions have been altered, and they have been painted over and inappropriately cleaned. Apart from describing the conservation treatment in Zadar, the article reviews the history of unprofessional interventions on, and restorations of, the polyptych, based on research of the few written records, and especially by comparing photographs, the oldest of which dates from 1906. The frst recorded restoration took place in 1924, when the process of removing traces of earlier interventions was initiated. Large-scale damage occurred after the Second World War, when the paintings were relocated from a damp shelter to a very dry space in an attic. Exposing the paintings to the action of major oscillations of temperature and humidity caused changes in the dimensions of the wooden support, which resulted in the appearance of large blisters on the painted layer. Large flakes of paint, together with the preparation, started to detach and fall off. Several restoration treatments ensued, using the methods and means characteristic of mid-20th-century restoration practice. The latest restoration, undertaken in Zadar in 2003, was prompted by the very poor condition the painted layer was in. It was impaired by traces of poorly-executed earlier interventions that degraded the beauty of the painter’s original work. The priority was to stabilize the wooden support, release the original painted layer from all subsequently-added materials, and ultimately integrate the painted layer within a single retouch. The concept for retouching was aimed at achieving a greater degree of similarity in painting and technology with the surviving original portions. The retouch technique relied on the traditional Renaissance method of painting and on the Florentine method of restoration. By studying the technology of Italian Renaissance painting during the quattrocento and cinquecento, which, under the influence of Flemish innovations, gradually passed from painting in tempera to painting in oil, and by comparing it to the technology used for the Zadar Polyptych, we were able to confrm that Carpaccio combined various techniques typical of this transition period and also that he was given to experimentation. At the same time, his perfectionism in executing each detail in the paintings also came to the fore. The large number of different items of damage in such an important painting as the Zadar Polyptych, which embodies the model of Renaissance painting technology and, at the same time, the unfortunate restoration interventions that ensued, was one of the motives to strike up an instructive collaboration with renowned Florentine restorers Stefano Scarpelli and Giovanni Marussich, the latter being an expert in wood restoration. In this way, the Zadar Department for Conservation, which has been active since 1958, has added new insights and achievements to its activity in the field of conservation.
Ključne riječi
Vittore Carpaccio; Zadar; Renaissance painting; painting technique; Polyptych of St. Martin; conservation work
Hrčak ID:
192456
URI
Datum izdavanja:
27.12.2017.
Posjeta: 1.931 *