NORMAL PRIORITY PROJECT

Within the glow of the gilded background, Mary turns tenderly towards the infant Jesus, who draws nourishment from her breast. On either side, a host of saints witness the prodigious event of the infant Savior with his mother, as human as it is divine, while two angels, in the foreground, contemplate the scene on their knees, handing out vases of lilies. The solemnity of the atmosphere is enhanced by the refined fabrics of the robes edged in gold, the drapery, and the richly decorated floor. In the predella, the Vir Dolorum is supported by Our Lady and St. John the Evangelist, in the presence of St. Mary Magdalene and a devout pious woman. The occasion of the restoration will make it possible to closely study the iconography of the panel and the profile of the extraordinary Florentine master who created the work, as well as to investigate the success and spread of this particular type of painting intended for personal devotion in Tuscany in the second half of the 14th century.

Total Cost: € 32.573,00 ($ 38,325.39)

The wooden support has been damaged by an attack of xylophagous insects, causing cracking and instability. The board is fixed to wooden laths and rests on walled metal brackets; this system needs to be overhauled. The frame is in fair condition with a surface deposit. The predella is stable, with a few flicker holes. The surface is lifting and cracking, and there is warping and thick oxidized varnish.

Support (after consolidating and glazing the painted surface):

• Anoxic treatment
• Disassembly of all movable elements of the frame and removal of any metal hooks
• Cleaning of the verso to remove chalk and/or paint, if present
• Consolidation of the wooden structure, if weakened by attacks from xylophagous insects, using nano-cellulose or another product to be determined
• Restoration of cracks by inserting poplar wedges
• Verify the stability of the predella and, if necessary, revise or modify the anchoring system of the board
• Preventive woodworm treatment with permethrin-based products
• Treatment of the entire surface with virgin wax to minimize thermohygrometric exchange with the environment in which the work will be displayed
• Application of a buffer system to the back to reduce thermohygrometric exchange with the environment (Climasoft type)

Frame:

• Cleaning of the gilded surface to remove surface deposits
• Filling of gaps
• Reintegration of gaps and abrasions using a method to be determined
• Anti-woodworm treatment with permethrin-based products
• Final protection

Painted and gilded surface:

• Fixing paint film lifts and preparation, paying attention to the adhesion of the cracks filling of the panel
• Glazing of the painted surface to allow intervention on the support after protective varnishing and subsequent removal
• Cleaning the painted and gilded surface using suitable solvents and removing any unsuitable fillings
• Painting the surface
• Filling the gaps with Bologna plaster and rabbit glue
• Pictorial reintegration using watercolor and/or paint colors for restoration
• Final varnishing