|
Metal foils were added before the paint work began.
The now-painted ovals on the mouldings were originally
covered with tin foil as a substitute for silver. The
foils were probably glued on and then polished with
an animal's tooth (preferably a wolf).
The metal foils were attached to the carved ovals with
a thick glue solution. In lack of tin foil, which is
no longer available, we used aluminium. Aluminium resembles
tin and is more stable. This was the only case during
the reconstruction process where we were forced to use
a substitute for the original material.
When the foils were fastened and polished, the remaining
ground was covered with diluted albumen to improve the
adhesion of the paint layers yet to come.
|
|
 |
|
The following pigments have
been identified in the frontal: azurite (blue
basic copper acetate), indigo (blue extract from the
indigo plant), verdigris (green copper acetate), orpiment
(yellow trisulphide of arsenic), raw sienna (yellowish-brown
ferruginous-earth pigment), red lead (lead oxide), cinnabar
(red mercuric sulphide; gives the colour vermilion),
organic red colouring (a plant extract), haematite (a
red ferric oxide ore), charcoal black, and white lead
(lead carbonate).
Chalk and bone white had been added to the paint as
filler, and analysis has shown that the binding medium
was linseed oil.
To the top of this page
|
|
 |
Once the basic colours were prepared, mixing them was
done to obtain the various blends of colours in the original.
Some prepolymerized linseed oil was added to achieve a
flexible paint suitable for small details. |
|
The various blends of colours were done according to the
technical analysis in the 1980s, but the result had to
be continuously checked and rechecked by comparing with
the original paint. |
