The Restoration of Ave Maria Narrated Version

Summary

This video documents the meticulous restoration of an Ave Maria icon on wood, showcasing the process from addressing severe damage and detachment of paint to the final retouching and varnishing. The artist carefully preserves the original wood support despite pest infestation and rot, using B72 resin for stabilization and employing traditional gilding techniques. The restoration aims to respect the artwork's history while making it visually coherent, utilizing Italian retouching methods to subtly conceal damage, culminating in a conserved piece that retains its artifactual qualities.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The restoration of an icon of Ave Maria on wood involved addressing extensive damage and detachment of paint from the wood structure.
• 🔍 The initial step was to carefully remove and document detached paint pieces to ensure their correct reattachment during the restoration process.
• 📸 Digital photography was used to record the location of paint pieces for accurate reassembly.
• 🪵 The wood panel had suffered from movement, poor preparation, pest infestation, and rot, which contributed to the separation of the paint layer.
• 💉 B72 resin was injected into the wood to fill voids, stabilize the structure, and prevent further movement.
• 🛠️ Excess resin on the wood surface was removed with a scalpel and bare fingers to prepare for new gesso application.
• 🖌️ An acrylic gesso with penetrating properties was applied to ensure a strong bond for successive layers and prevent future detachment.
• 🔗 Heat-activated solvent was used to stabilize partially detached paint layers by injecting it beneath the paint to secure them to the wood.
• 🧩 After stabilizing loose paint, adhesive was applied to reattach completely detached pieces, guided by digital images for correct placement.
• 🧼 A gelled solvent was chosen to clean the painting, removing accumulated linseed oil and grime to reveal the original artwork.
• 🛡️ An isolation layer of B72 resin varnish was applied to protect the original work and simulate the final appearance after retouching.
• 🌟 Traditional gilding techniques were employed to rebuild lost gold leaf areas, using size and leaf application to match the original.
• 🎭 The retouching method 'Riga Tino' was used, which involves sketching with vertical stripes to conceal damage while preserving the artwork's history.
• 🛡️ An ultraviolet stable, fully reversible conservators varnish was applied as the final step to protect and complete the restoration.

Q & A

What is the primary issue with the Ave Maria icon upon its arrival for restoration?

The primary issue is the extensive damage and precarious condition of the piece, with massive sections of loss, paint completely detached from the wood, and the paint flaking and being incredibly dirty.

How does the restorer handle the detached paint pieces during the restoration process?

The restorer carefully removes the completely detached paint pieces and places them on an acid-free piece of foam core, keeping them aligned and using digital photography to document their location for accurate reattachment.

Why was the paint layer separated from the panel in the Ave Maria icon?

The separation was due to the movement of the wood and poor preparation of the panel, with the paint layer separating at the gesso.

What material is used to stabilize and fill the voids in the wood of the Ave Maria icon?

B72 resin is used to stabilize the wood, fill the gaps, and prevent further movement by acting as an adhesive.

How does the restorer ensure a good bond for the new layer of paint on the wood panel?

The restorer uses an acrylic gesso modified for better penetrating properties, ensuring it penetrates deep into the wood pores for a strong bond with successive layers.

What method does the restorer use to stabilize and secure the partially detached paint pieces?

The restorer uses a heat-activated solvent-activated adhesive, injecting it into and under the lifting areas, and later activates the adhesive with heat and pressure to bond the paint back to the wood.

How does the restorer approach the cleaning process of the painting?

After testing and identifying the surface accumulation as linseed oil, the restorer uses a gelled solvent to soften and remove the grime, followed by delicate scraping with a scalpel for stubborn areas.

What technique is used for retouching the painting to conceal damage while preserving its artifact qualities?

The restorer uses an Italian technique called 'treta' which involves sketching with vertical stripes, known as 'Riga Tino', to camouflage the damage without completely imitating the original.

How is the gold leaf embellishment on the icon restored?

The restorer rebuilds the gold leaf using traditional gilding techniques, applying a size, cutting the leaf into sections, tamping it down, and working the leaf with various tools to match the original.

What type of varnish is applied in the final step of the restoration process, and why?

An ultraviolet stable, fully reversible conservators varnish is applied to protect the painting, isolate the original work from additional retouching, and simulate the final appearance after varnishing.

What does the restorer aim to achieve with the restoration of the Ave Maria icon?

The restorer aims to address the damage while preserving some of the artifact qualities of the piece, allowing it to look complete and full while acknowledging its history in a sensitive way.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Restoration of a Damaged Icon

The video script details the meticulous restoration process of an iconic Ave Maria painting on wood. The piece arrived in a fragile state with extensive damage, including paint detachment and flaking, due to wood movement and poor panel preparation. The first step involved carefully removing and documenting detached paint pieces, followed by addressing the wood's instability caused by pest infestation and rot. This was achieved by injecting a stable, reversible B72 resin to fill gaps and stabilize the wood structure. The script also describes the removal of old gesso and materials, revealing raw wood, and the application of a penetrating acrylic gesso to ensure a strong bond for future layers.

05:01

🔍 Securing and Cleaning the Painting

After stabilizing the detached paint pieces with heat-activated solvent, the artist proceeded to bond them back onto the primed wood structure, using digital images as a guide for proper placement. The adhesive was allowed to dry before applying heat and pressure to secure the paint layers. The cleaning process involved testing various solvents to remove accumulated linseed oil grime, ultimately choosing a gelled solvent for its effectiveness. The artist cleaned the painting, including the delicate gilded areas, and began building up a new base layer for retouching, ensuring a smooth surface and careful removal of excess filling material in preparation for an isolation varnish layer.

10:03

🖌️ Gilding and Retouching the Icon

The artist reconstructed the original gilded elements using traditional gilding techniques, applying gold leaf onto a size and ensuring a good bond and color match with tinted shellac. Following this, the retouching process commenced using an Italian technique called 'Riga Tino,' which involves sketching with vertical stripes to conceal damage while allowing the restoration work to be discernible upon closer inspection. This method respects the artifact's history while presenting a complete and full appearance from a distance.

🛡️ Final Varnishing and Preservation

The final stage of the restoration involved applying a new, ultraviolet stable, fully reversible varnish to protect and preserve the painting. The artist chose Rogalla res varnish with a tin youin 292 stabilizer, carefully brushing it on to avoid covering the entire piece. The result is a conserved icon that acknowledges its history while maintaining its integrity and appearance. The artist expresses satisfaction with the outcome and excitement for the client's reaction, inviting viewers to subscribe for more content and engage with any questions in the comments.

Keywords

💡Restoration

Restoration refers to the process of repairing and renewing an object to its original condition. In the context of the video, restoration involves addressing the damage and deterioration of an icon of Ave Maria on wood, ensuring its preservation and longevity. The script describes various steps taken to restore the piece, from removing detached paint to stabilizing the wood and reapplying gesso.

💡Detached Paint

Detached paint indicates areas where the paint layer has separated from the wood support. The video script describes the initial state of the artwork with 'massive sections of loss' and 'paint...completely detached from the wood structure.' This concept is crucial as it sets the foundation for the restoration process, which includes removing and later reattaching these detached paint pieces.

💡Acid-Free Foam Core

Acid-free foam core is a type of archival material that does not contain acidic substances which can deteriorate over time. In the script, it is used to place and align the detached paint pieces to preserve their condition and ensure they can be accurately reattached during the restoration process. This material is important for maintaining the integrity of the artwork.

💡Gesso

Gesso is a primer made of a mixture of chalk and glue size that artists apply to canvases or panels to provide a surface for painting. In the video, the old gesso is removed to reveal the raw wood, and a new layer of modified gesso is applied to ensure a good bond for successive layers of paint. The term is central to the script as it relates to the preparation of the wood panel for repainting.

💡Pest Infestation and Rot

Pest infestation and rot refer to the damage caused by insects and decay to the wood support of the painting. The script mentions that the wood had 'suffered pest infestation and rot over time,' which compromised its stability. Addressing this issue is part of the restoration process to ensure a stable foundation for the artwork.

💡B72 Resin

B72 resin is a type of adhesive used in conservation for filling voids and stabilizing materials. The script describes its use to 'inject into all of the voids of the wood' to solidify it, fill gaps, and prevent further movement. The resin is highlighted as stable, reversible, and essential for the structural integrity of the restored artwork.

💡Adhesive

An adhesive is a substance used to bond or join materials together. In the context of the video, an 'heat activated and solve an activated solvent' is used as an adhesive to stabilize and secure the paint that has lifted from the wood. The adhesive is activated with heat and pressure, ensuring the paint layers are firmly attached to the wood.

💡Retouching

Retouching is the process of adding new paint to an artwork to restore its original appearance. The script discusses the use of an Italian technique called 'Riga Tino' for retouching, which involves sketching with vertical stripes to conceal damage while allowing the restoration work to be discernible upon closer inspection.

💡Gilding

Gilding is the technique of applying gold leaf to a surface to give it a metallic appearance. The video script mentions that the icon was 'heavily embellished with gold leaf,' and part of the restoration involved rebuilding the gilded areas using traditional gilding techniques. This process is crucial for returning the artwork to its original state of grandeur.

💡Conservators Varnish

Conservators varnish is a type of varnish used in art conservation to protect the artwork and enhance its appearance without altering its colors. The script refers to applying a 'new, ultraviolet stable fully reversible, varnish' to the restored icon, which serves to protect the artwork and ensure its longevity while being reversible to allow future conservation work if needed.

💡Artifact

An artifact refers to an object made by a human being, especially one of cultural or historical interest. In the script, the term is used to describe the original qualities of the artwork that are preserved during the restoration process. The goal is to 'preserve some semblance of artifact' while making the piece look complete, acknowledging the history of the piece.

Highlights

Restoration of an icon of Ave Maria on wood with extensive damage.

Careful removal of completely detached paint pieces and documentation using digital photography.

Removal of old gesso and materials to reveal raw wood for stabilization.

Use of B72 resin to fill voids and stabilize the wood structure.

Addressing wood damage due to rot and pest infestation.

Decision to keep the original wood support per client's request.

Application of acrylic gesso with penetrating properties for better wood bonding.

Stabilization and securing of partially detached paint pieces with heat-activated solvent.

Reassembly of detached paint pieces onto primed wood structure.

Use of heating iron, silicone release film, and felt for even heat distribution during paint bonding.

Cleaning process using gelled solvent to remove linseed oil accumulation.

Delicate scraping of grime with a scalpel for areas not removable with solvent.

Building up a new base layer of gesso and putty for a smooth retouching surface.

Application of an isolation layer of B72 resin to prepare for retouching.

Rebuilding lost gold leaf using traditional gilding techniques.

Retouching method using Italian technique 'Riga Tino' with vertical stripes.

Application of a new UV stable, fully reversible varnish for final protection.

Preservation of artifact qualities while addressing damage in a sensitive manner.

Transcripts

in this video we're gonna follow along

the restoration of an icon of Ave Maria

on wood when this piece arrived I was

impressed with the extent of the damage

and just how precarious the piece was as

you can see there are massive sections

of loss lots of the paint has completely

detached from the wood structure the

paint is flaking all over and it's

incredibly dirty so before I can even

begin to think about any restoration

procedures I have to address the fact

that all of this paint is literally

detached from the wood support so

carefully I'll remove the pieces of

paint that have completely detached and

I'll place them on an acid-free piece of

foam core I'll try to keep them aligned

so that I know where they'll be returned

to during the restoration process I'll

also use digital photography to document

the location of these pieces so that

they aren't lost or misplaced during the

next steps in this case the main reason

for the separation of the paint from the

panel was not only due to the movement

of the wood but poor preparation of the

panel itself as the paint layer

separated at the gesso so I'll remove

all of the old gesso all the old rabbit

skin glue and any other materials I find

on the panel to reveal the raw wood so

that I can stabilize it and prepare a

new layer for the paint in addition to

being quite damaged this wood had

suffered pest infestation and rot over

time and wasn't really providing a

stable support for the painting now

there would be an argument to be made to

remove the painting completely from the

wood and transfer to a new

superstructure but in this case the

client wanted to keep as much original

as possible and I agreed with him so I'm

injecting a b72 resin into all of the

voids of the wood and I'm going to fill

them with this b72 to not only solidify

the wood to fill the gaps and to

stabilize it and this b72 resin is

stable it's reversible and it'll fill

the gaps so that all of the open areas

will be solid

the back of the structure shows just how

damaged the wood is due to rot and pest

infestation so again I'm going to inject

the resin into all the gaps to fill

those gaps and stabilize the wood and

I'm going to brush the resin on so that

it penetrates into all of those voids

and I'll repeat this process until the

wood is completely saturated and can

accept no more resin with the resin dry

we can start to see how all of those

voids have been filled and this not only

creates a smooth surface onto which I

can prime and prepared the wood panel

but it also ensures that the wood isn't

going to move any more because this

resin will act as an adhesive and hold

those two pieces of wood together so

I'll go ahead and using the scalpel and

the sensitive touch of bare fingers

remove any excess resin that's on the

surface of the wood here I'm using an

acrylic gesso that I'll modify so that

it has better penetrating properties

because when I apply this first layer of

gesso to the wood I want it to penetrate

deep into the wood pores to ensure that

there's a good bond for the successive

layers so that any fill-in and

retouching that I do after the painting

is fully cleaned won't suffer the same

fate of detaching as the original paint

did so just working slowly and very

carefully I'm going to make sure that

the entire area of exposed wood is

covered I'll let it dry and I'll repeat

I'll let it dry and I'll repeat over and

over again now before I can start

cleaning the painting I have to

stabilize and secure all of these pieces

of paint that have somewhat detached

from the wood but not completely so here

I'm using and heat activated and solve

an activated solvent and I'm injecting

it into and under and around all of the

areas where there is lifting in this

case I have to penetrate the paint layer

to access the void underneath and inject

the adhesive again penetrating the paint

layer injecting the adhesive until

there's maximum saturation later I'll

come back and I'll activate the adhesive

and bond this paint

or back down to the wood so moving

through all of the areas that you can

see that are lifting and flaking I will

inject the adhesive let it cool and dry

and then come back at a later time with

heat and pressure and stabilize all of

these areas so that they won't be at

risk of flaking now with all of the

loose paint layers stabilized I can lay

down a layer of adhesive and to begin to

put the puzzle back together taking all

of those pieces of completely detached

paint and placing them back onto the

wood structure that has been primed I

can ensure that there's going to be a

good bond now luckily the pieces are

fairly large and the image is a good

guide but I will refer back to the

digital images that I took earlier if I

find myself a little lost as to where a

piece will go even the smallest pieces

need to be placed back where they belong

and secured to fit once this adhesive

dries there's not much room for

maneuvering the pieces of paint layer so

I want to make sure that I have a good

solid fit from the get-go

now with the adhesive fully dry I can

begin bonding all of those pieces of

paint back down to the wood so here I'm

using a heating iron a piece of silicone

release film and a piece of felt to

apply even distributed and mild heat to

the surface of the painting the silicone

release film makes sure that nothing

sticks the felt allows me to apply

pressure without damaging the surface of

the painting now finally with all the

paint stabilized I can begin the

cleaning process after making quite a

few tests to understand what was on the

surface and settling on it being a

accumulation of linseed oil

I decided on using a gelled solvent to

remove the built-up grime now linseed

oil is not easy to remove but the gelled

solvent does allow me to soften it and

then

move it now I know a lot of commenters

are gonna say that I should never start

in the face but in fact I made dozens of

tests all throughout the painting before

I began working on this and for the

purposes of making an interesting video

working on the face and the main figure

is a little bit more entertaining than

working on the background nonetheless I

will work to clean off all of a linseed

oil from the background and from the

gilded areas to reveal the gold now some

areas can't be removed with solvent and

so I'll turn to a scalpel to delicately

scrape off that built-up grime with the

painting fully cleaned I can begin to

start building up a new base layer of

gesso and putty so that we have a smooth

surface onto which I can do the

retouching there's nothing complicated

about this it's just a matter of

building up layer after layer until we

have a nice proud surface that I can

then remove with a scalpel and swabs and

again people are gonna say why aren't

you using gloves and it's because I

can't feel the surface through latex or

nitrile gloves but with my bare fingers

I can feel it and I want to make sure

that I have the perfect surface for the

retouching now before any retouching can

begin I first must remove any excess

filling material from the surface of the

painting in preparation for an isolation

layer of varnish to be applied now this

isolation layer is going to be b72 resin

and it's going to be brushed on and it's

going to serve two purposes one it's

going to isolate the original work from

any additional work that I do the

retouching and the rebuilding and two

it's going to saturate the colors and

simulate what they'll look like when

they're finally varnished because I want

to make sure that my retouching matches

what the painting will look like in its

final state now at one point this icon

was heavily embellished with gold leaf

but over time much of that original leaf

was lost luckily there is some still

left to provide a guide and so I'm going

to be rebuilding it using traditional

gilding techniques you saw me applying a

size and here I'm cutting the leaf into

small manageable sections and I'll apply

it to the size

tamp it down with the brush and then

using other brushes I will ensure that

it's got a good bond and remove the

excess I'll work the leaf with various

tools and altona with a tinted shellac

to make sure that it matches the

original now with the painting fully

stabilized filled in I'm ready to begin

the retouching now in this case I'm

using a different retouching method than

you see me used before for this piece

I'm going to be using an Italian

technique called treta Geo you have to

pardon me if my pronunciation isn't

perfect but it means to sketch or to

hash out in Italian and the particular

technique I'm using is called Riga Tino

which means stripes so effectively I'm

sketching with vertical stripes and the

goal of this technique is to conceal or

camouflage the damage to the eye but not

completely imitate what was there so the

goal is at a few feet back you can start

to see the image come together but as

you get closer you can see the

restoration work that I've done and

that's an appropriate method for working

on old masterpieces or icons where we

want to preserve some semblance of

artifact but still allow the piece to

look complete and full

and the last step with the retouching

all complete is to apply a new

ultraviolet stable fully reversible

varnish in this case I'm using Rogalla

res varnish with a tin youin 292

stabilizer and this is fully reversible

ultraviolet stable conservators varnish

and I'm brushing it on in this case

because I don't want to spray it and

cover the entire piece so as you can see

the piece is fully conserved the damage

has been addressed while still

preserving some of the artifact

qualities of the piece and I'm very

satisfied with how it turned out

and I'm excited for my client to see it

too so I hope you enjoyed watching the

process of restoring this icon of Ave

Maria it was a fun project for me it

allowed me to show you guys some

different techniques different

approaches different materials than some

of my other videos and I'm really

excited with how this piece turned out I

think it looks really great while still

acknowledging some of the history of the

piece and preserving it in a sensitive

way so if you would like you can go

ahead and subscribe to my channel for

more videos and if you have any

questions go ahead ask away in the

comments and I'll try to answer them