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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter September 22, 2018

Non-aqueous Facing Methods in Paper Conservation – Part II: Application of a Facing on a Seventeenth Century Ink Drawing

  • Theresa Bedenikovic

    Mag. art Theresa Bedenikovic, born in 1985, studied Conservation and Restoration of Paper/Photographs/Books/Archive material at the Academy of fine Arts Vienna. She works as a self employed paper conservater in the team of the Institute for Paper Conservation collective at Schloss Schönbrunn. Mail: theresa@bedenikovic.eu

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    , Sigrid Eyb-Green

    Mag. art Dr. Sigrid Eyb-Green is head paper conservation at the Institute for Conservation-Restoration, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. She completed a five year conservation program at the same institution, specialising in art on paper, and started her career as a free-lance conservator in New York and Vienna before she commenced teaching in 2002. In 2009, she finished her doctoral thesis on a collection of cartoons.

    and Wolfgang Baatz

    O.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dipl.-Ing. Wolfgang Baatz is head of the Institute for Conservation-Restoration, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. After completing conservation training at the Academy, he worked 16 years as a freelance conservator. During this time he also graduated from a ten semester chemistry program at the Technical University Vienna, before returning to the Academy with a full professorship in 1994 and expanding the institute. He is also co-founder of ENCoRE and present chairman.

Abstract

This article describes the implementation of results from a test series exploring non-aqueous facing methods in paper conservation (Bedenikovic 2018). The lessons learnt during the systematic study of different materials and methods were applied in a real-life conservation situation, and findings from the test series could be complemented with observations made in practice. The case study will discuss the conservation of a seventeenth century drawing damaged by ink corrosion. The severely degraded, brittle paper had to be secured with a facing before it could be removed from the mounting board. Adhesives introduced during earlier treatments posed additional challenges during the conservation process. A facing made of Rayon, coated with 2.5 % Klucel® G in water and reactivated with 96 % ethanol stabilized the drawing effectively during treatment and could be easily removed without damaging the object’s surface or leaving residues behind.

Zusammenfassung

Nicht-wässrige Facingmethoden in der Papierrestaurierung - Teil II: Anwendung eines Facings auf einer Federzeichnung aus dem 17. Jhdt.

Dieser Artikel beschreibt die praktische Umsetzung der Ergebnisse einer Testreihe zu nicht-wässrigen Facingmethoden in der Papierrestaurierung (Bedenikovic 2018). Die aus der systematischen Untersuchung gewonnenen Erkenntnisse zu verschiedenen Materialien und Methoden konnten in einem realen Restaurierungsprojekt angewendet und die Resultate der Testreihe durch Beobachtungen aus der Praxis ergänzt werden. Das folgende Anwendungsbeispiel beschreibt die Konservierung-Restaurierung einer tintenfraßgeschädigten Federzeichnung aus dem 17. Jahrhundert. Das stark abgebaute, brüchige Papier musste mit einem Facing gesichert werden, bevor es von dem Montagekarton abgelöst werden konnte. Dabei stellten Klebstoffe, die während früherer Behandlungen eingebracht worden waren, eine zusätzliche Herausforderung dar. Ein Facing, bestehend aus einem Träger aus Rayon, beschichtet mit 2,5 % Klucel® G in Wasser und reaktiviert mit 96 % Ethanol stabilisierte die Zeichnung während der Behandlung effektiv und konnte danach leicht entfernt werden, ohne die Oberfläche des Objekts zu beschädigen oder Rückstände zu hinterlassen.

Resumé

Des méthodes non aqueuses de facing en restauration papier- Seconde partie: l’application d’un facing sur un dessin à l’encre du 17ème siècle.

Cet article décrit la mise en oeuvre pratique d’une série de tests visant à examiner différents matériaux pour un facing non aqueux en restauration papier. Un compte-rendu de la restauration d’un dessin à l’encre métallo-gallique du 17ème siècle sera dressé, en se concentrant sur l’application d’un facing afin de stabiliser le papier fragile durant l’enlèvement du carton de montage. Nous nous concentrerons sur les méthodes de facing non-aqueuses utilisées en restauration papier. Une palette de matériaux de support, d’adhésifs non aqueux et de méthodes d’application et de réactivation ont été combinés.

Du nylon, rayon et un non tissé japon ont été enduits de Klucel®, BEVA®, Aquazol®, Degalan®, Lascaux® et Plextol®. Les adhésifs ont été appliqués au pinceau, au vaporisateur, au stencil et par tamponnage. Les supports de facing ont été réactivés par différentes méthodes telles qu’une application de vapeur de solvant, une application à l’éponge ou une application directe du solvant. De plus, la réactivation a été réalisée par pression et/ou par chaleur. La force adhésive a été évaluée par un simple test de pelage; en teignant les adhésifs, leur pénétration dans les papiers échantillons a été rendue visible et cela a permis d’observer visuellement les résidus d’adhésifs restés présents sur les échantillons papier.

About the authors

Theresa Bedenikovic

Mag. art Theresa Bedenikovic, born in 1985, studied Conservation and Restoration of Paper/Photographs/Books/Archive material at the Academy of fine Arts Vienna. She works as a self employed paper conservater in the team of the Institute for Paper Conservation collective at Schloss Schönbrunn. Mail: theresa@bedenikovic.eu

Sigrid Eyb-Green

Mag. art Dr. Sigrid Eyb-Green is head paper conservation at the Institute for Conservation-Restoration, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. She completed a five year conservation program at the same institution, specialising in art on paper, and started her career as a free-lance conservator in New York and Vienna before she commenced teaching in 2002. In 2009, she finished her doctoral thesis on a collection of cartoons.

Wolfgang Baatz

O.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dipl.-Ing. Wolfgang Baatz is head of the Institute for Conservation-Restoration, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. After completing conservation training at the Academy, he worked 16 years as a freelance conservator. During this time he also graduated from a ten semester chemistry program at the Technical University Vienna, before returning to the Academy with a full professorship in 1994 and expanding the institute. He is also co-founder of ENCoRE and present chairman.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank o. Univ. Prof. Univ. Doz. DI Dr Manfred Schreiner (Institute for Natural Sciences and Technology in the Arts INTK, Academy of fine Arts Vienna INTK) for XRF analysis, BSc.MSc. Kyujin Ahn (INTK) for ATR-FTIR analysis and Ernst Hammerschmid (INTK) for false-color infrared photography. Warm thanks to Mag. Doris Pitour for sharing her experience and for all her support during the entire conservation process.

References

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Received: 2018-07-31
Revised: 2018-08-21
Accepted: 2018-08-22
Published Online: 2018-09-22
Published in Print: 2018-10-25

© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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