VIS Sample 10

This sample was collected from the leg of one of the background soldiers before the removal of the discolored surface coating. The red-brown ground can be seen as well as two layers of paint; the dark colored layer represents the tiled floor depicted in the painting while the red-yellow layer corresponds to the figure's leg. The thin, uppermost layer represents the degraded surface coating (visible light/100x magnification).

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-01-16

VIS Sample 11

This sample was collected from the heavily overpainted hand of the kneeling woman in the bottom right corner. The red-brown ground can be seen (appearing damaged and rather fragmented) as well as scattered remaining fragments of the original paint layers corresponding to flesh tones of the hand (although compositional adjustments were likely made during the painting process). The thin, uppermost yellow-brown glaze was later confirmed to be unoriginal restoration paint (visible light/100x magnification).

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-01-16

VIS Sample 12

This sample was collected from the heavily overpainted background near the bottom right corner. The red-brown ground can be seen (appearing damaged and rather fragmented) as well as a thin layer of red paint followed by a thick layer of blue-black overpaint (visible light/100x magnification).

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-01-16

VIS Sample 13

This sample was collected from an area in the tiled floor where a pentimento (also called pentimenti) became visible after removal of the degraded surface coating. The red-brown ground can be seen followed by three paint layers; the first corresponds to the initial lay-in of the tiled floor, the second to the initial position of the soldier's foot, and the third to the tiled floor that is now visible in the composition (visible light/100x magnification). Pentimenti are original changes by the artist(s) and can become visible over time as oil paint layers become more transparent with age.

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-01-16

VIS Sample 14

This sample was collected along the outer left edge (the tacking margin) of the painting before the degraded overpaint/surface coating was removed from the soldier's red cloak. The red-brown ground can be seen followed by several layers of red paint, indicating that multiple adjustments were made to this area of the composition (visible light/100x magnification). The uppermost paint layer was later confirmed to be unoriginal restoration paint.

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-01-16

VIS Sample 15

This sample was collected from the shot-silk robe of the woman holding the tambourine after removal of the degraded surface coating. The red-brown ground can be seen followed by two layers of paint; the greenish colored lower layer contains earth colors and lead white while the top layer contains lead white with small additions of ultramarine (visible light/100x magnification).

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-01-16

VIS Sample 16

This sample was collected from the dark helmet of a soldier in the background before removal of the degraded surface coating. The red-brown ground can be seen followed by two layers; the thin, dark black paint layer corresponds to the soldier's helmet while the top layer is the degraded surface coating (visible light/100x magnification).

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-01-16

VIS Sample 17

This sample was collected from a heavily overpainted section of the blue robe worn by the kneeling woman in the lower right corner before removal of the overpaint and degraded surface coating. The red-brown ground can be seen as well as multiple layers of blue paint containing ultramarine (lapis lazuli) with small additions of lead white (visible light/100x magnification). These multiple layers suggest that several compositional changes were made to this area of the drapery while the uppermost layer was later confirmed to unoriginal restoration paint.

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-01-16

Continued with Consolidation and Cleaning of Upper Section

Continued with overpaint/varnish removal throughout top half of painting as well as consolidation of flaking/insecure paint (Pictured here: Maggie Bearden.

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-07

Background Group of Soldiers

During varnish removal, beautiful details were revealed in King Saul's face as well as the vibrant red of his cloak.

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-07

Woman with Flowers

This area suffered from significant degrees of blanching in the varnish and darkened overpaint. During varnish removal, many of the original details were successfully recovered, including the braid that was obscured beneath the degraded varnish and the delicate details throughout the face.

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-07

Before

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-07

Before IMAGE

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-07

After

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-10

After

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Date: 2014-02-10

Applying Fills to Areas of Loss

Inert, stable fill materials were applied to areas of loss throughout the paint and ground layers.

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-16

Left Edge

Most of the losses in the paint/ground layers were located along the far left and right edges of the composition. Losses throughout the torso of the standing soldier were found to be particularly extensive as old horizontal tears in this area were not properly mended or filled during a previous restoration campaign. The team carefully removed unstable fills and old fills that were covering original paint, replacing them with a stable, inert fill material.

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-16

Before

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-16

Before IMAGE

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-16

After

timeline view   simple view
Date: 2014-02-19