142 The painting “Purgatory” of the Mary retable Restoration To regain readability and optical balance to the Mary painting, it was decided to close all losses with a filling mass and subsequent retouching.98 By treating all problematic lost areas, the painting’s aesthetically pleasing condition was to be re-established, restoring its devotional function. Since the purgatory painting is in close proximity to the viewer, next to the entrance door of the church, the visual integration of the lacunae was an important aspect of the concept. The retouching was carried out in fine brush strokes for full tonal integration and focused on the fillings, the missing paint areas. Additionally, a few local glazes were applied on top of the new varnish to adjust the tonality and colours of over-cleaned (reduced) details such as flames. Lost forms were reconstructed along small preserved original paint flakes (Fig. 218, 219). Fig. 215: Strainer box with backboard protection; front (left) and back (right) Fig. 216: Right corner before treatment (UV-exposure); overpaint is distinguishable as dark brushstrokes Fig. 217: Right corner after removal of varnish, overpaint and old fillings
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