The Structural Conservation of Panel Paintings

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Seasoning

Anybody knowledgeable on the subject (see, for example, Cennini

1994:chap. 108) appreciates that for optimum results, timber should be per-

fectly seasoned. However, it is well known to artisans today—as it must

have been to those of the Renaissance—that in practical terms, the desig-

nation “perfect” seasoning does not refer to a static situation or a fixed

moisture content. The golden rule of the craft states that the equilibrium

moisture content (EMC) of the wooden support at the time of manufac-

turing or painting should be as close as possible to the average EMC pre-

dicted in its subsequent environment.^14

It may be impossible today to determine the exact values of the

moisture content (MC) of supports at the time of their manufacture. One

assumption, however, is that the average EMC of panel paintings located

in churches, public buildings, or noble houses (most of them usually

Figure 6
Francesco Salviati, The Deposition from the
Cross,1547–48. Oil on panel, 495 3 285 cm.
Museo dell’Opera di Santa Croce, Florence.
Wooden plug originally embedded in the
panel face before painting.

Figure 7
Cimabue, Maestà. Uffizi Galler y, Florence.
X radiograph of a small insert originally
embedded in the face of a diametrical board
possibly damaged near the pith, to restore
flatness and continuity of the panel suface.