Les Loges de Raphaël et La Galerie du Palais Farnèse de Giovanni Volpato (1735-1803) : étude et conservation-restauration de deux séries d'estampes rehaussées, conservées au Musée des beaux-arts de Tours. Expérimentation d'un traitement réducteur sur un …

Raphael's Logge and The Galleria of the Palazzo Farnese by Giovanni Volpato (1735-1803) ; examination and conservation of two sets of prints of the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Tours. Experimenting a process to reduce foxing on aged paper. Our study concerns the conservation of a set of prints enhanced with gouache, watercolours and gold leaf, made by Giovanni Volpato (1735-1803) in Rome in the second half of the 18th century. The two sets which are held by the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Tours contributed to the circulation of classical models in Europe. The prints, mounted on pasteboard, had certainly been on exhibition in the museum for over a century and presented irregular yellowing as well as a considerable amount of foxing.
To be able to recommend appropriate treatment to reinforce the paper and decrease foxing, we tested a reducing method. It would seem that Borane tert-butylamine slows down the deterioration of cellulose and produces a slight bleaching effect on the paper support. To avoid humidity on the gouache painted surfaces, a process was developed whereby the margins could be treated separately on a low pressure table.