« Sacré puzzle ». Etude et conservation-restauration d’un Christ en crois (XVIII-XIXème siècle, Pontrieux, église Notre-Dame des Fontaines). Evaluation de la migration d’un produit biocide sélectionné dans différentes essences de bois

This thesis is about the study and conservation-restoration of a Christ on the cross, from Notre-Dame-des-Fontaines Church in Pontrieux. This sculpture was probably carved in the late 18th/early 19th century and is composed of many pieces of oak, joined together by wooden dowel. The historical and technical studies gave insight into the context of artistic creation and enabled some discoveries: this sculpture belongs to a set of closely located similar Christs on the cross, in terms of both esthetics and techniques, in the Côtes-d'Armor department.
This masterpiece was in a poor state of conservation, with many alterations, both to its structure and its surface. The restoration and preservation treatments have been carefully adapted to the artwork particularities, while respecting its identity. One of the main deteriorations was induced, among other factors, by biological colonization. Therefore, a biocidal treatment had to be considered. To that end, a protocol aiming to assess the migration of the biocidal product into the wood was established, and the appropriate application method was thus selected.
Several actions and procedures have been formulated to stabilize the art work, to improve its readability and to allow its display in a safe environment. They were carried out to achieve the replacement of the sculpture into its church.