42 Rare fragments of a 17th century panel painting Examination, treatment and digital visualisation of presentation options of a ‘Last Supper’ scene KEYWORDS: Panel painting fragments, Last Supper depiction, digital visualisation, in situ presentation, preventive conservation Seventeenth century panel fragments with remnants of the original polychromy depicting the biblical scene ‘The Last Supper’ were discovered during the restoration of an altar in the Protestant parish of Tauche, in the state of Brandenburg near Berlin. As a result of having been cut up and used as supports for the later altarpiece the fragments’ polychromy suffered no light exposure, and although unvarnished, remained in excellent condition. Art historical as well as technological research was carried out. It was possible to identify a copperplate engraving that very likely served as the painter’s template for the panel’s motif. It was created by the Dutch engraver Adrian Collaert in the late 16th century and its outlines are a very close match to the design of the painting. This discovery aided the overall understanding of the object. The aim of the conservation was to preserve the pristine condition of the oil painting while making the object accessible to the public and available for future research. Numerous presentation variants were considered spanning from mounting the fragments as they are to the integration of newly painted additions to complete the scene. The advantages and limitations of the different suggestions were compared and discussed. In order to be able to better communicate the presentation options with the owners of the fragments, digital visualisation methods were used. These included visually overlaying the engraving with the oil painting in various depth levels and degrees of integration. The best strategy for the long-term preservation of the fragments is their presentation in situ where members of the parish can experience them as integral part of their heritage. It was possible to develop and suggest a mounting system that is aimed at the long-term preservation of the current condition of the object. Digital editing contributed greatly to communicating the visual impact of different degrees of possible alterations and presentation options. It also allowed to demonstrate the measures required for the practical implementation of a specific presentation solution. marisa[at]mail-zengin.de
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