135 The painting “Purgatory” of the Mary retable Varnish A thick varnish layer was applied with a brush to the entire painting except for the edges, which were hidden by the frame. This clearly indicates that the varnish is not original (Fig. 206).89 Frame Five pieces of small gilded fillet mouldings, mitered together, are attached to the front of the strainer with nails through the painting (Fig. 203). The wooden, profiled, and water-gilded strips have a height of 1.2 cm, the width is 3.5 cm. They cover the nails of the mounting and the edges of the painting. Condition Preliminary remark The general condition of the painting can be explained by the extreme climatic conditions, which had severely affected the hygroscopic material. The canvas was found to be extremely sagging. Many areas of the paint layer showed significant losses, flaking and tenting. The surface was covered with extensive candle wax residue due to its proximity to the altar candles, which must have frequently been extinguished carelessly. ExtenFig. 206: Craquelures in the paint layer are covered with a thick later varnish layer; unvarnished edges with several nail holes due to the application to the strainer structure and the framing Fig. 207: Condition after the dirt and varnish removal: matte and leached paint surface (nail holes already closed with pulp filler)
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