https://www.facebook.com/103403048454981/

Rosa Boute Schilderijenrestauratie, Hobbemastraat 22, Amsterdam (2026)

14/06/2021

During this project, I created an Illustrator Adobe file with several layers. Within these layers, we could place both the existing information and add our new findings to create an overview. I illustrated each loose panel/part of the ensemble by tracing them using continuous lines whereas the details and attached parts are indicated by dotted lines. The numbering system that was used by the previous PI 1 students is added to the layer as black numbers and the location of each sample is displayed in red. The mapping proved to be a useful overview for each person in the group during individual tasks. The elaborate numbering system can be confusing but placed in the overview we were able to communicate better. The display of the location of the samples that were taken helped us to decide whether more should be taken and if so, where.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

20/05/2021

Panel experts/conservators Ray Marchant and Tom Bobak gave a workshop on structural treatments at SRAL Maastricht. They discussed the materials and techniques on how to do structural work on panels, such as gluing fractures, and re-joining loose panels using a panel joining bridge. The fractures seen on the Hindeloopen panels were in many cases caused by oxidised nails which created tension and brittleness due to their corrosion. The most problematic nails were removed and the panels were stabilised by gluing the fractures with the help of clamping systems.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Image 1 and 2: Clamping system, shown from the side and from above, designed to level the wood around the fracture and to close the fracture.
Image 3: The green clamp with wooden blocks and wedges provides lateral pressure to close the fracture. The black clamp, with two pieces of wood covering the fracture, makes sure that no movement is possible and the wood remains levelled.
Image 4: Applying lateral pressure using clamps with wooden blocks and wedges was not possible in this case. The use of a piece of cloth proved to be very useful.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

19/05/2021

After finalising my master education at the University of Amsterdam, I lived in Maastricht for one year and worked (Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg) together with the 5 other students from the master. This was part of the Post-Initial phase of the UvA, which consists of one year of work in Maastricht and one year of internships at musea or studios. Our first project was performing structural treatment on the Hindeloopen ensemble from the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden. The Hindeloopen room consists of one interior in the form of 54 panels decoratively painted in the local style of the city Hindeloopen with flower trails, birds, as well as mythological and biblical stories. The panels date from 1879-1880 and were made with oil paint on oak and coniferous wood. The artist is unknown. The whole ensemble is 313 cm x 427 cm. The treatment of these panels was conducted partly by UVA pi-students as well as fellows from the Indian Conservation Fellowship Program at SRAL. In the upcoming posts I will show what the structural treatment looks like.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Image 1: one panel front and back, this particular panel shows many paint losses. The yellowed varnish has been removed.
Image 2: overview of the Hindeloopen ensemble (Image: SRAL)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

18/05/2021

The previous couple of posts are of course only a snippet of what my thesis encompasses. The thesis was written for the Master Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage regarding the paintings specialization at the University of Amsterdam. The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (RMA), who is the owner of the object researched in this thesis, has played an important role in providing services and feedback. The University of Amsterdam also collaborates with the Cultural Heritage Agency of The Netherlands (RCE) which contributed immensely by conducting technical analyses on request. In case you would like to read my thesis you can visit https://scripties.uba.uva.nl/scriptie/635784
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

18/05/2021

Image 1: SEM-EDX backscatter electron image, 20 kV, magnification: 500X. Red arrows indicate a few of the bright (heavy metal) pigment particles within the first ground layer. The first ground layer is a darker grey in the SEM image compared to the second ground layer, which means that the first ground layer has a lower amount or density of heavy elements, for example lead.

Image 2: SEM-EDX backscatter electron image of, 20 kV, magnification: 500X. Red arrows point out where cracks can be seen. Some go through the entire composite structure.

The crack formation specifies where problems occur but it does not explain why it is happening. GC/MS analyses of the ground layer could aid in finding possible explanations.

18/05/2021

SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy Energy Dispersive spectrometry) was conducted to see what elements are present within the ground layer discussed in my previous post and whether there are any irregularities or signs that may explain the delamination. How does SEM-EDX work? If an accelerated electron beam in high vacuum hits a specimen, various interactions occur. Via inelastic interactions of the high-energy electrons with valence electrons of the atoms in the specimen low-energy secondary electrons are generated. Because of their low energy, only secondary electrons in the top layer can escape from the surface. The secondary electron (SE) image is a high-resolution image of the surface topography. High-energy electrons that are reflected back by elastic scattering can be collected and analyzed. This ‘back-scattering’ depends on the Z value of the elements, the larger Z the more backscattering occurs. The backscattering electron (BSE) image (lower resolution than an SE image) results in an elemental surface topography in which areas with higher Z appear brighter and areas with lower Z darker. High-energy electrons can excite inner shell electrons of elements. Outer shell electrons cascade down into the inner shell vacancies and as they do characteristic X-ray radiation is emitted. Like in XRF, this gives a spectrum of the elements present versus their intensity. However, because of the high vacuum, in SEM-EDX also lighter elements (Z > 4) can be detected, depending on the detector.
Image 1: Scanning Electron Microscope.
Image 2: SEM-EDX bse-image, 20 kV, mag: 500X. This image shows a lack of contrast in the area where the size layer is to be expected. More organic content and thus a darker colour would be expected as well as less particles.
Image 3: The SEM-EDX spectra for the bottom part of the sample shows a high peak for calcium, carbon, oxygen, and lead. Carbon, oxygen and lead could indicate the presence of lead white.

01/04/2021

Besides fibre analysis, two samples were taken. One with all layers and one with at least the two ground layers. This was done to investigate the presence of a size layer. A size layer can influence the adhesion of the preparatory layers to the support, which is a problem in the case of The Toilet of Psyche. In addition, cross-section examination gave insight into the built-up, composition, and any irregularities of the two ground layers, and the subsequent paint layers of ’The Toilet of Psyche.

Image 1: Cross-section in Dark Field, magnification: 25X. The red lines indicate the areas where a size layer would be expected.
Image 2: Cross-section in Bright Field, magnification: 50X. Red arrows indicate the very small black pigments in the first ground layer.
Image 3: Cross-section in Dark Field, magnification: 50X. Red arrows indicate the black pigments. Blue line shows a dark irregularity between the two ground layer.

To be certain of the absence of a size layer in the cross-section and to look into the material composition of all layers, SEM-EDX and GC-MS research was carried out. This will be discussed in the upcoming posts.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

30/03/2021

To determine the type of fibre of canvas, polarised light microscopy (PLM) was used. Anisotropic materials, which include cellulose fibers, have varying optical properties depending on the direction of light through the material, and will therefore display different refractive indices. The thread sampled from The Toilet of Psyche was unraveled into single fibers to facilitate its identification. It was concluded that the fibre is flax (linen) based on the change of the colored interference bands. When linen canvases are exposed to levels of relative humidity above 80%, the fabric, if loose, will shrink and could cause the subsequent layers to delaminate. However, The Toilet of Psyche shows no evidence of damages, like tenting, related to such shrinkage.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Image 1: the canvas fibre seen North to South with a polarised light microscope, displaying an orange colour. Magnification: 100X.
Image 2: the same canvas fibre seen East to West with a polarised light microscope, displaying a blue colour. Magnification: 100X.
Image 3: sample location of the canvas fibre indicated by the red circle.

Thanks to the University of Amsterdam.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

29/03/2021

In order to fully understand a paintings condition, conservators sometimes look into its provenance. Catalogs, photographs, and conservation reports can contain important information. The Toilet of Psyche has been moved many times, between 1922 and 1951 the painting was for example on loan to the Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam. It is likely that during this period the painting was damaged, these damages are visible on a photograph taken in 1951. Considering its size, it would have been a challenge to move or store the painting at the Academy. When comparing all photographs of the painting, some damages have increased in size. The painting was rolled up once more before it was unrolled and safely placed on a strainer in 1989. Whether there is reason to assume that the damages are due solely to the handling and storing of the painting, or whether they can be explained by the materials of the painting itself as well, was investigated by performing material technical research. Fibre analysis was done, cross-sections and SEM-EDX backscatter electron images were taken, and GC-MS analyses were performed. All with thanks to the expertise of researchers from the RCE, UVA, and RMA. In the following posts I will share the material technical research.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

06/03/2021

I created a damage overview to examine whether specific damages occur in one area, for example where a certain colour is used, or all over the painting’s surface. Red indicates where the canvas is visible, yellow shows where the second ground layer can be seen, blue lines indicate where the seams of the multiple canvases are, and green lines indicate vertical damages.
Solely visual analyses resulted in the following observations:
- Scratches that reached the canvas and resulted in paint loss appear to be due to mechanical causes.
- The delamination between the second ground layer and the paint layers appears in most cases to have been initiated by the delamination between the canvas and the first ground layer. These may have been caused by a mechanical force as well, or by the materials within the painting.
- The painting consists of three canvases seamed together and the seams are visible on the front of the painting. Possibly the canvas is more vulnerable at the interface of the seams.
- The vertical damages may have occurred when the painting was rolled up or folded.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I conducted literature research into common causes for delamination, I investigated: paint cohesion and adhesion, lead soap formation, environmental changes (relative humidity and temperature), transport, storage, and conservation history. Furthermore, I looked into painting materials and techniques used in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. I focused on the materials expected to have been used by Paelinck. Literature on supports, preparatory layers, pigments, and binders was reviewed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

03/03/2021

These detail photographs show the delamination and paint loss on the painting ‘The Toilet of Psyche’, revealing the subsequent paint layers and ground layers. In the last image you can see a visualisation of the paint layers, the red arrows indicate where delamination occured. Identifying the delamination phenomena was the first step towards finding the possible causes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

01/03/2021

My master thesis research focused on the cause(s) for the delamination present on ‘The Toilet of Psyche’ (1823) by Joseph Paelinck. The painting is part of the collection of the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam and is situated in the Lelystad depot. The painting exhibits delamination phenomena which affect the entire surface, causing a disturbing visual appearance and creating a severe risk of loss of original material. Visual analysis, archival and literature research, and technical analyses were done to find a possible explanation for the paintings severe condition. A better understanding of the delamination may contribute to the decision-making process of the conservation treatment. The size of the painting sometimes made the investigation quite challenging, the painting measures 277 by 362 cm. Swipe to see an archival photograph of the painting hanging in the ‘Fragmentengebouw’ in 1922 in the Rijksmuseum.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The painting depicts Psyche, a female figure from the story of the Greek myth of ‘Amor and Psyche’ by Lucius Apuleius in his novel Metamorphoses. She is sitting on a throne and leans with her left hand on a pillow while holding a veil in her other hand. Psyche looks at herself in a hand-mirror, which is held up by a nymph while another nymph is adjusting her hair. Other remarkable details are the burning odor barrel on top of the frame in the background and the butterfly just above Psyche’s head.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Rosa Boute Schilderijenrestauratie

14/06/2021

20/05/2021

19/05/2021

18/05/2021

18/05/2021

18/05/2021

01/04/2021

30/03/2021

29/03/2021

06/03/2021

03/03/2021

01/03/2021

Adres

Website

Meldingen

Snelkoppelingen

Delen

Type