Retables on the Croatian Island Lopud

96 The Church of Our Lady od Špilice – St Mary retable / St Joseph retable These hollow elements have a thin outer papier-mâché layer and an inner reinforcement layer with canvas and are nailed to the wood. Due to corrosion, the sequence of iron nails is clearly visible. Cartapesta elements may have been produced in advance to serve as a cost-effective and efficient means of creating the decorations. The use of cartapesta could be an indication of the Italian origins of the craftsmen, the technique being particularly widespread in southern Italy (Naples, Lecce). Fig. 150: St Mary retable; head of a putto, made in cartapesta and applied to the wooden surface Fig. 151: St Joseph retable; (condition as found); the rectangular protruding elements of the entablatura were originally decorated with an applied decoration. A “pattern” of nails, nail holes, cutting traces and fragments of fibrous material underneath some nail heads indicate the deliberate removal of some decorative element. It is most likely that the lost decoration was similar to those on the retable of Holy Mary, showing heads of putti, made in cartapesta. The brown color on this area is probably a later local touch-up

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