2014-12 IMAGE

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Date: 2014-12-03

Wax-Resin Paste

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Date: 2014-12-07

Applying Wax-Resin Paste

A mixture of pigment, waxes, and resin are made into a soft paste, that can then be applied atop large areas of loss that have already been filled with Modostuc. Once the wax-resin has dried edges of the fill can be carefully cleaned using a scalpel (Pictured Here: Project interns Keara Teeter and Serena Vella)

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Date: 2014-12-07

Texturing Fills

The silicone mold is placed atop the wax-resin and locally applied heat is used to impart texture. Once the wax-resin has cooled, the silicone mold is peeled away revealing the textured fill beneath. (Pictured Here: Project intern Serena Vella)

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Date: 2014-12-07

Public Outreach

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Date: 2014-12-15

Visit from High School Students

Students from a local high school visited the painting to learn about traditional painting practices and the analytical techniques employed by the conservation team. In this image the students decided to "re-enact" the scene depicted in "The Triumph of David."

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Date: 2014-12-15

Philadelphia Inquirer Article

The Philadelphia article provides an in-depth summary of the project and the progress that the conservation team has made thus far:<br/><a target="_blank" href="http://articles.philly.com/2014-12-26/news/57398481_1_painting-chemistry-layers">Link</a>

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Date: 2014-12-15

Collections Care

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Date: 2014-12-23

Learning from the Ruspoli Collection

History students at Villanova were given access to the Ruspoli Collection, providing them with exciting opportunities for research and thesis studies.(Pictured Here: Villanova Student Alexandra Stump and Dr. Timothy McCall)

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Date: 2014-12-23

Status

Began retouching/inpainting small areas of loss as well as larger textured fills. Continued using silicone molds and wax-resin paste to impart texture in large areas of loss.

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Date: 2015-01-01

November 2014

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Date: 2015-01-01

December 2014

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Date: 2015-01-03

2014-12 IMAGE

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Date: 2015-01-03

January 2015

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Date: 2015-01-05

2015-01 IMAGE

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Date: 2015-01-05

Preparation of Inpainting Palettes

Today conservators have the option of either preparing their own conservation paints or purchasing pre-made paints (e.g. Golden PVA Conservation Paints, Gamblin Conservation Colors, etc.). These paints are chemically DIFFERENT from the original materials used by the artist so that they can be easily and safely removed from the surface if necessary. Conservation paints are also tested to ensure that they are lightfast and will not darken or discolor over time.(Pictured Here: Project intern Claire Burns)

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Date: 2015-01-07

Applying Retouching Paints to Losses

Extremely small brushes are used to carefully mix and apply the reversible, stable conservation paints to areas of loss and abrasion. (Pictured Here: Project intern Serena Vella)

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Date: 2015-01-16

All Hands on Deck

With so many losses, large and small, the whole team went to work immediately to begin the retouching process. (Pictured Here: Project interns Serena Vella and Keara Teeter with project volunteers Rachael Modrovsky, Sarah Beaver, and Morgan Shankweiler)

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Date: 2015-01-16

Began Retouching Phase

Details of small and larger areas of loss as seen before and during application of conservation paints.

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Date: 2015-01-25

Soldier's Back

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Date: 2015-01-25