Paul Ackroyd, Larry Keith and Dillian Gordon
Technical Bulletin Volume 21, 2000
Abstract
The altarpiece was painted between 1407 and 1409 and had undergone several major restorations. Some interventions could be given an earliest possible date, particularly from the blue pigments used in them. Losses of two vertical strips 7mm wide during a previous disassembly of the panel had been displayed with retouched strips in a neutral grey. The visual effect of these strips and of other retouching schemes is discussed in detail, with comments on the discoloration of components of earlier retouching. Restoration options after cleaning are also described.
In the restoration under discussion, the vertical losses were reconstructed to a high degree, using current information on Monaco's depiction of costume, physiognomy and hairstyle, and comparison with other works of the period. Areas of loss which were less central to the composition were retouched realistically, but with less detail.
Keywords
altarpieces, Lorenzo Monaco, previous interventions
Download article
The Restoration of Lorenzo Monaco's 'Coronation of the Virgin': Retouching and Display, Paul Ackroyd, Larry Keith and Dillian Gordon (text-only RTF 0.22MB)
To cite this article we suggest using
Ackroyd, P., Keith, L., Gordon, D. 'The Restoration of Lorenzo Monaco's "Coronation of the Virgin": Retouching and Display'. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 21, pp 43–57.
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/technical-bulletin/ackroyd_keith_gordon2000
Problems opening files? Get Adobe Reader [External link]