123 The painting „Death of St Joseph“ Residues of an original or older varnish could not be found, suggesting that the painting was originally not varnished. The varnish layer was covered with crystallised salt that has penetrated in the craquelures of the paint layer and had concentrated along the borders of the cracks (Fig. 196). This contamination was probably caused by the humid climate and the church’s close proximity to the sea. Concept The overall appearance of the painting was marred by the greyish deposit of salt, surface dirt, yellow varnish, and mismatching dark retouches, contributing to a matte and dull look. The approach was based on the concept of minimal intervention. However, the focus on a purely conservation treatment would have left the painting with an unpleasant appearance. Therefore, the inadequate additions, such as the yellow varnish and mismatching overpaints, had to be removed to reveal the original surface and improve the painting’s appearance. The overall aim was to regain the structural stability of strainer, canvas, preparation, and paint layer while preserving the original mounting system of the canvas as much as possible. At the same time, the concept respected the natural ageing of the paint layer such as cupping, craquelures, etc. The decision was made to undertake not only conservation treatment but restoration treatments as well. This involved the filling of losses in the paint layer and the tonal integration of these additions, motivated by the fact that the painting is in regular liturgical function and should be appealing to its viewers. Treatment The painting was dismantled from the retable and taken out of the frame. The first step was to clean the surface and remove the salt deposits. To avoid any penetration of salt, a waterbased gel of Klucel G (6%) in demineralised water proved best results. For the treatment, this gel was applied to the paint surface with a brush. After approximately two minutes, the gel was removed with water-moistened Saugwunder suction blocks in several passes. It was possible
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