A small but special painting
At first glance, it looks like just a banal little painting. It measures barely 26 by 21 cm and was painted in the 17th century. Yet it very nicely depicts an important aspect in the ecstatic experience of religious women: a strong attachment to the sacrament. St Clare is sitting in a dark interior. On the table in front of her is a monstrance containing a host. As she worships the sacrament, the scourged Christ appears. It is precisely because of this iconography that the painting will be shown in the exhibition 'Ecstasy & Orewoet'.
But to be able to display the work, conservation and restoration was necessary. The painting had been treated badly over the centuries. For instance, the canvas was no longer stretched on a stretcher, but glued to a cardboard sheet. As a result, the canvas experienced a lot of impact from heat and humidity fluctuations, resulting in deformations. Also, in many places the paint layer had been greatly reduced, making details of the image no longer visible.
(Photo: before - after)
A Complete Makeover
The first step was to remove the cardboard backing to which the canvas had been attached. This allowed for the controlled correction of any bulges and folds in the canvas. Once this was done, the canvas was mounted onto a new stretcher. With the canvas properly stretched, the painting underwent a thorough cleaning. In areas where the paint had deteriorated, the surrounding texture was carefully recreated to match the original. Finally, a layer of varnish was applied to enhance the original colours, restore their vibrancy, and protect the painting.
The painting now just needs to be reframed and will soon be ready to shine at our upcoming exhibition.
