The Role of Water in the Restoration of Paintings

The Role of Water in the Restoration of Paintings

N. Marchettini D. Magrini A. Guiducci F.M. Pulselli

Department of Chemistry, University of Siena, Italy.

Soprintendenza per i Beni Storico Artistici ed Etnoantropologici della Provincia di Siena e Grosseto (Pinacoteca Nazionale), Siena, Italy.

Page: 
76-80
|
DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.2495/DNE-V5-N1-76-80
Received: 
N/A
| |
Accepted: 
N/A
| | Citation

OPEN ACCESS

Abstract: 

Cleaning old paintings has always been a major problem, because aqueous solutions may dissolve pigments. We succeeded in cleaning some precious old paintings of Siena using aqueous products. This success encourages us to clean a Lorenzetti masterpiece in the near future. The techniques used and a possible explanation of the surprising result are discussed in the light of recent insights into the physics of water.

Keywords: 

cleaning with water, coherent water, interfacial water, Siena paintings

  References

[1] Boskovits, M., Su Niccolò di Buonaccorso, Benedetto di Bindo e la Pittura Senese del primo Quattrocento, ed, Paragone, Sansoni: Firenze, Gennaio – Marzo, 1980.

[2] Torriti, P., La Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena. I Dipinti, ed. SAGEP: Genova, 1990.

[3] AAVV., La pittura in Italia. II Duecento e il Trecento, vol. II, ed, Electa: Milano, 1986.

[4] Muller, N.E., Three methods of modelling the Virgin’s mantle in early Italian painting. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 17(2), pp. 10–18, 1978. doi:10.2307/3179752  [5] Wolbers, R., Cleaning Painted surfaces: Aqueous Methods, Archetype Books: London, UK, 2000.

[6] Wolbers, R., Stavroudis, C. & Doherty, T., Approach to cleaning I; using mixtures of concentrated stock solutions and a database to arrive at an optimal aqueous cleaning system. Western Association for Art Conservation Newsletter, 27(2), pp. 17–28, 2005.

[7] Khandekar, N., A survey of the conservation literature relating to the development of aqueous gel cleaning on painted and varnished surfaces. Reviews in Conservation IIC, pp. 10–20, 2000.

[8] Tsang, J. & Erhardt, D., Current research on the effects of solvents and gelled and aqueous cleaning systems on oil paint films. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 31(1), pp. 87–94, 1992. doi:10.2307/3179615

[9] Bonifaccio, F., Duccio di Buoninsegna, Maestà di Massa Marittima. Indagini di laboratorio su 2 campioni di pellicola pittorica, Scientific Report, Altavilla Vicentina, 28/04/2003.

[10] Bonifaccio, F., Duccio di Buoninsegna. Madonna con Bambino tra Santi, Profeti e Angeli- Indagini di laboratorio su 4 campioni di pellicola pittorica. Scientific Report, Altavilla Vicentina, 28/04/2003.

[11] Spampinato, M., Analisi stratigrafica e chimica su campioni di colore prelevati da terracotta policroma raffigurante Madonna con Bambino, attribuita a Jacopo della Quercia – Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena. Scientific Report, Lucca, 12/07/05.

[12] Zheng, J.M., Chin, W.C, Khijniak, E., Khijniak, E., Jr. & Pollack, G.H, Surfaces and interfacial water. Evidence that hydrophilic surfaces have long-range impact. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 127, pp. 19–27, 2006. doi:10.1016/j.cis.2006.07.002

[13] Pollack, G.H., Water, Energy and life: fresh views from the water’s edge. International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, 5(1), pp. 27–29, 2010.

[14] Del Giudice, E., Pulselli, R.M. & Tiezzi, E., Thermodynamics of irreversible processes and quantum field theory: an interplay for the understanding of ecosystem dynamics. Ecological Modelling, 220, pp. 1874–1879, 2009. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2009.04.035

[15] Marchettini, M., Del Giudice, E., Voeikov, V. & Tiezzi, E., Water: a Medium where dissipative structures are produced by a coherent dynamics. Biophysical Chemistry, submitted.

[16] Del Giudice, E. & Pulselli, R.M., Formation of dissipative structures in liquid water.  International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, 5(1), pp. 21–26, 2010.