Η "Βάπτιση του Χριστού" του Δομήνικου Θεοτοκόπουλου. Περιγραφή - Κατάσταση - Συντήρηση

Περίληψη

The recent conservation at the Benaki Museum’s workshops of Theotokopoulos’ Baptism provided an opportunity for obtaining additional information about the painting.
The Baptism is part of a triptych, of which it constitutes the inner right wing. This is demonstrated by:
a) the shape of the panel
b) marks of hinges on the left side, by which it was attached to the central panel
c) the discovery on the outer left edge of gold leaf and, underneath, of russet pigment which was used in the gilding of the frame of the central panel of the triptych
The present rectangular form of the painting, which was originally arched at the top, probably dates from the late 18th-early 19th century. Part of the wooden support was sliced off previously –as is apparent from its very shallow depth today– and a new backing panel of varied thickness from 0.003-0.006 m. was attached with animal glue, onto which the painting was fixed with precision.
1. In spite of the considerable craquelure the pigment is firmly attached to the preliminary design and the wooden support. The losses of pigment must be due to accidents rather than unsticking. This must also be the cause of certain scratches on the paint surface. 2. The original varnish (to which further layers of varnish had been added during the painting’s various treatments) had lost its natural properties and suffered significant photo-chemical deterioration, resulting in a distorted image through the adulteration of the pigment quality, which diminishes the overall effect of the picture.
3. This result also derives from overpainting with a thick opaque layer of pigment later than, or contemporary, the work of the support. This overpainting also concealed the date, for reasons unknown to us. More recently the painting was treated by a non-professional or very incompetent conservator with the result that the partial cleaning of the varnish left a residue, notably in the depressions formed by the brushstrokes. The same conservator was responsible for the unnecessary overpainting of large areas of the surface.
It was therefore essential to remove the unskillful overpainting, especially as in the same area Theotokopoulos’ painting survived virtually untouched.
On the basis of the results of the various research methods, the conservators adopted the following procedures:
Preliminary tests for the cleaning were made using a series of solvents, in various areas and on differing pigments in the painting, using small samples so that the coordinates for dissolving the varnish could be found in the J. P. Teas triangle. The results of the conditions of dissolution varied, as the varnish was not uniform and was made of three different ingredients.
The cleaning was carefully carried out in stages, on sections smaller than 5 x 5 cm., in accordance with the area of vision permitted by the stereoscopic microscope.
In certain areas of the painting, where it was felt that no further work should be undertaken, a small quantity of the original varnish was allowed to remain.
After cleaning the overpainting and the varnish, there were a very few areas where it was necessary to rectify damage with pigment. The areas of later infilling in the arched sections, even after cleaning, differ considerably chromatically from those of the painting.
During the cleaning the date MDLXVII (1567) gradually emerged from beneath the areas of overpainting and the varnish. The date is authentic as gold striations were found under the overpainting and the original varnish, and they followed the damage and the craquelure of the painting. On a first examination the striations of the date appear identical to those on Christ’s garments and all the letters are made of the same material.
Since the paint layer adhered satisfactorily to the preliminary design and the wooden support, little work was required to stabilise the paint surface.
When securing the original to the later support, an attempt was made to create a number of apertures for the adhesive material to penetrate: this softened the original glue, so that the two supports could be sufficiently separated for the new adhesive to enter.
After the cosmetic improvements, which were limited to the replacement of pigment where this was unavoidable and the final varnishing, it is now possible to see the picture in a state much closer to the original, unimpeded by later treatment and varnishing.