Successful Restoration of a Kandinsky Masterpiece: Non-Original Varnish Removal Through Advanced Scientific Analysis
A significant step forward has been achieved in the restoration of a painting by Wassily Kandinsky, thanks to research published in the journal Applied Sciences. The study focused on the removal of a non-original varnish from the artwork’s surface, a delicate intervention made possible by meticulous experimentation on mock-ups and a thorough multi-analytical investigation.
The project was born from the collaboration between the Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo (GAMeC), the Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR) and the Department of Chemistry of the University of Torino. The INFN CHNet and Dafne Light Laboratory significantly contributed to the multi-analytical investigation that supported all phases of the conservation treatment with portable R-FTIR analyses.
A crucial phase of the work involved the identification and characterization of the non-original varnish present on the painting Spitz-Rund (1925). Through pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) analyses, the varnish was identified as a ketone resin. This varnish, likely applied from the 1950s onwards to replace natural resins, had altered the original appearance of the work, concealing the gloss effects intended by the artist.
To identify the most suitable and safe cleaning method, mock-ups reproducing the original painting technique and stratigraphy of the painting were created. Numerous cleaning tests were conducted on these artificially aged mock-ups to simulate the artwork’s state of conservation, using different solvents, gelling systems, and tools.
The analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of the tests on the mock-ups and subsequently on the original work included various non-invasive and invasive techniques. In particular, the study emphasizes that analyses on the painting’s surface, before and after the varnish removal treatment, were conducted using Reflection FTIR Spectroscopy.
From the tests conducted on the mock-ups, the most effective and safe protocol for the removal of the ketone varnish proved to be the use of Nanorestore Gel® Dry MWR (Medium Water Retention) loaded with ethanol. This system allowed for controlled solvent action, limiting it to the surface and minimizing the risk of interaction with the original paint layers.
The treatment on the original artwork followed a multi-step approach:
- Swelling of the varnish with Nanorestore Gel® MWR and ethanol.
- Removal of residues through dry cleaning with a low-polarity solution applied with a cotton swab. The use of a Blitz-Fix® sponge for this purpose was not possible due to its incompatibility with apolar solvents.
The Reflection FT-IR spectroscopy analyses conducted on the treated area of Spitz-Rund after cleaning confirmed the complete removal of the ketone resin, revealing the presence of the original paint binder. The intervention made it possible to recover the original refraction/reflection index of the painting’s surface.
This study demonstrates the importance of a preliminary phase of experimentation on mock-ups and the use of advanced analytical techniques to define effective and safe restoration protocols for delicate contemporary artworks such as those by Kandinsky. The collaboration between different scientific and conservation institutions made this significant result possible.
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(22), 10385; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142210385