{"id":22284,"date":"2020-09-17T11:33:18","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T11:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.museunacional.cat\/?p=22284"},"modified":"2020-09-17T11:34:01","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T11:34:01","slug":"the-process-of-conservation-restoration-of-saint-lliberada-wilgefortis-by-andreu-sala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.museunacional.cat\/en\/the-process-of-conservation-restoration-of-saint-lliberada-wilgefortis-by-andreu-sala\/","title":{"rendered":"The Process of Conservation-Restoration of Saint Lliberada (Wilgefortis) by Andreu Sala"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\u00c0ngels Comella<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Joan Yeguas, curator of the Museu Nacional d\u2019Art de Catalunya\u2019s Renaissance and Baroque Art collection, mentioned the historical and artistic interest of this magnificent polychrome woodcarving<\/a>, dated to about 1689, in a previous post<\/a>. I shall now refer to the restoration and conservation process to which it has been subjected, and which has enabled us to corroborate that it is not a Christ in Majesty but actually Saint Wilgefortis (Lliberada), the bearded female saint crucified on the cross, whose iconography is so unfamiliar, venerated for centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As is very often the case, it was a request for the work to appear in an exhibition that led to it entering the laboratory of the Museu Nacional\u2019s Department of Conservation, so that it could be examined, analysed and finally restored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What state of conservation was the carving in?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Entered in 1879, it had never been exhibited to visitors due to its poor general state, with a lot of dirt stuck to it and numerous losses of polychromy.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The wood carving prior to conservation-restoration process. General image, details and the back of the figure<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The carving<\/a>, in solid polychrome wood, also had parts of the wooden support missing and there were a great many holes caused by a massive attack of xylophagous insects. A large part of the paint on the wooden support had peeled off, leaving gaps in the polychromy that were impossible to fill and numerous blisters on the paint layer that showed there was an imminent risk of further losses. In fact, as protection some areas had already been repaired provisionally with Japan paper and glue.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The paint layer<\/a> appeared to be completely altered and darkened; the varnishes<\/a> were oxidized and there was also a large accumulation of dirt on the surface. Moreover, the tunic appeared to be far more matt and porous than the flesh zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though there is no written record of any previous restoration work, the carving<\/a> presented interventions on various fractures at shoulder height and on the hands. These fractures had been repaired and stuck back on using an epoxy resin applied rather crudely and, for reasons unknown, the process of restoration had not been completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Santa<\/a>
Detalls de p\u00e8rdues de suport de fusta i d\u2019una fractura intervinguda a la m\u00e0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After assessing its condition, our final diagnosis was that the the sculpture needed comprehensive conservation-restoration work done on it in order to stabilize it in order for it to be exhibited in the show Baroque Craftsmen: Cervera and the Art of its Time <\/em>(Museu de Cervera, 2019\/2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process of repairing the carving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n