Cradle Removal
To properly repair and stabilize the panel, it was necessary to remove the heavy mahogany cradle that had been attached many years ago. After placing the protectively faced painting face down on specially designed and constructed sawhorses, the conservator very slowly and carefully used handsaws and chisels to cut away the cradle members, as seen here and on the Beginning Treament video. View the video of Removing the Cradle. A variety of scrapers, scalpels and other tools were needed to remove the old glue and wax from the back of the panel, seen here and here. View the video of Removing the Old Glue.
Panel Repair
Removal of the cradle, old glue and wax exposed the back of the original panel for the first time in decades. The true extent of woodworm damage, cracks, splits and old repairs could finally be assessed and a treatment plan was developed. To repair the cracks and splits, the conservator made v-shaped cuts with chisels and scalpels into the panel, almost down to the backside of the paint and ground layers, to permit gluing in of wedges of old poplar similar in character to the original panel. Click here, here, here, here, and here to see photos. She then carefully shaved the wedges down with a variety of tools until the new wood was flush with the old wood, seen here. View the video of Repairing the Splits. Old repairs made with the wrong kind of wood that were causing stress on the paint layers were removed with a special router and hand tools. New inserts were made from old poplar, glued in place and then worked flush with the panel. Old repairs, such as the replacement corners, that posed no harm to the painting were left in place. A moisture barrier was applied to the back of the panel to protect the wood and reduce its response to changes in temperature and humidity.
Reinforcement and Stabilization
Once all of the repairs had been made to the original panel, the stresses were released, permitting the wood to achieve a soft and natural curvature. To maintain this newly relaxed state and permit the panel to safely flex in response to slight variations in temperature and humidity without cracking and splitting, the panel is now supported with a system of specially sized and wound springs attached to a floating frame that is shaped to match the curvature of the panel. Click here, here and here to view photos. This system of stabilization and reinforcement will permit the painting to once again go on display in the museum.
View the Reinforcement and Stabilization videos: The New Support Mechanisms, Attaching the New Support, Installing the Spring Devices, Structural Treament is Complete