120 The painting „Death of St Joseph“ Varnish The varnish is not original. It was applied quite thickly with a brush over the entire painting with the exception of the edges, which were hidden by the frame. This is a clear indication that the varnish was applied only after the painting had already been placed in its current frame. Condition Preliminary remark Despite significant traces of material deterioration, the general condition of the painting was fairly acceptable. Effects of the specific climate conditions, the church being in close proximity to the sea, were most apparent in the presence of salt on the whole surface of the paint layer. The original strainer was preserved, with only minor changes. Along the horizontal bars of the strainer, the original mounting system was preserved to a large extent. The canvas had only minor tears and losses and was found to be sagging. Paint losses were present but not to a large extent. Cupping of the paint layer was evident in many areas. Although the edges of the paint flakes had detached from the textile support, adhesion between ground and textile support was still acceptable in most areas of the painting. The painting had already undergone restoration treatment before – it appears there were only one more extensive (earlier) and some minor (more recent) interventions. The more extensive restoration involved filling of losses, retouching, and application of the varnish. Strainer The strainer was damaged by wood eating insects, resulting in a partial loss of strength of some sections. The corners had been opened for the modification of the strainer, causing some loss of the original wooden material (Fig. 193). Reworking of the joints in the corners and the use of rather large T-headed nails led to insufficient stability. This contributed to the slight deformation of the whole painting and loss of planarity. Most of the wooden pegs along the horizontal tacking margins were in good condition, fulfilling their function well. The iron nails along the vertical tacking margins were very rusty. A few of them were missing.
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