78 The sculpture of the crucified Christ Polychromy A well-intentioned but rather ugly overpaint with glossy brown household paint has spoiled the to this point preserved original surface. It could be traced back to an intervention of a layman during the early 1990s (communication by Don Ivan Vlasic†, Lopud). During the same treatment, the arm joints had been reinforced with gypsum and textile cover, additionally a textile addition to the perizonium was attached to the hip of Christ. As the overpaint had been performed in situ, the original, completely untouched original surface is still visible on the back of the sculpture (Fig. 123). Description of original polychromy The carved maize stalk surface was covered with a layer of paper that consolidates and smoothes the surface. It was not applied to the finest sculpted details (beard, hair) in order not to lose the precision of the sculpted form. The polychromy was then prepared with a thin white preparation in two layers (animal glue + gypsum/calcium sulphate). The incarnate reveals a single layer of pinkish-brown polychrome paint with blood marks, precisely set drops of blood and bluish bruises worked thinly into the fresh colour layer. Details of the face and the dark brownish single-layered beard were added subsequently (Fig. 139, 140). The white perizonium is characterised by a pattern of gilded quatrefoils and a gilded seam. The first step of this decoration was a square glue-based gilding with gold leaf in the required areas. Subsequently, the form Fig. 123: Back of the perizonium; preserved original polychromy with ornamental quatrefoil pattern (goldleaf and azurite)
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