Analysis of Materials from a Late 15th-Early 16th Century Polychromed Wood Sculpture
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ANALYSIS OF MATERIALS FROM A LATE 15TH-EARLY 16TH CENTURY POLYCHROMED WOOD SCULPTURE L. P. STODULSKI* AND V. J. DORGE* *THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS, 5200 WOODWARD AVE.,
DETROIT,
MICHIGAN
48202
ABSTRACT During conservation,
The Detroit Institute of Arts'
late
Gothic carved wooden sculpture, Madonna and Child, was found though fragmentary, remains of the to have extensive, and at least four subsequent original polychromy "restoration" overpaints. The materials present in the and overpaintings were probed by polarizing original microscopic and X-ray diffraction analyses of individual paint specimens, and scanning electron microscopic/energydispersive X-ray analyses of cross sections prepared using an ultramicrotome. Several sections were also studied using ultraviolet fluorescence microscopic staining techniques to determine the nature of the media used. lead white, The pigments identified include azurite, and vermilion, red lead, hematite, red lakes calcite, Gold and silver metal glazes, smalt and Prussian blue. The deteriorated remains of the leafs were also detected. and the use of late Gothic pressed brocade technique, "bronze" paint to approximate genuine gold leaf on a later addition to the sculpture, are also discussed. INTRODUCTION The sculpture of a seated Madonna holding the Christ Child (Fig. 1) was acquired in Europe for The Detroit Institute of Arts in 1921 as a German work of the fifteenth Stylistically, the piece is recognizable as a century. product of the prolific wood carvers working in the late Gothic style who were active in southern Germany from the While early fifteenth through the early sixteenth century. there are distinctly Upper Rhenish aspects of the figure, it can be closely compared to the Madonna of the Ramersdorf altarpiece in Munich [1]. EXAMINATION AND INITIAL CONSERVATION OF THE SCULPTURE acquisition, this sculpture had not been Since its thoroughly studied or conserved. When originally inspected at the beginning of the present study, the entire piece was layer of accumulated grime that covered with a heavy It was obscured much of the remaining polychromy detail. estimated that about 80% of the paint surface had been lost. inspection also indicated that structural Close visual repairs had been done at some point to various parts of the sculpture. Before the sculpture could be safely cleaned, the badly flaking areas of polychromy were consolidated with dilute rabbitskin glue or polyvinyl acetate solutions, depending on surface cleaning was done using the area. Subsequent Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol. 185. c 1991 Materials Research Society
152
Figure 1: The Detroit Institute of Arts' Madonna and Child during treatment, (107.8 cm high x 61.9 cm wide x 31.8 cm deep).
153
saliva-moistened swabs. The interior (or lining) of the Madonna's robe and the textured areas of the outer surface of the gown were left untouched until samples could be taken for materials analysis studies. After consolidation and thorough cleaning of all the other areas of the sculpture, it was found th
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