Diagnostic studies
To arrive at a precise understanding of the painting’s support, it is impor-
tant to analyze the consistency of the wood and to establish with certainty
the various construction phases. Radiography and infrared reflectography
(IR) are deemed useful tools for studying these aspects of panel paintings.
In general, radiography is the most effective analytical technique for exam-
ining the construction ofthe support and for identifying the state of
preservation of the wooden material (Fig. 2). For painted works, however,
the data this type of analysis can provide about the structural condition of
the wood fibers are related to the thickness of the preparation and to the
presence ofpigments that are particularly opaque to X rays. The X radio-
graph ofThe Coronationreveals wormholes in the support, as well as their
displacement close to the surface. This study also provided information on
the characteristics of the preparation, which showed up as slightly denser
in X rays of the lower section, a possible indication of a greater thickness
and different applications of the ground. Above all, the study revealed the
two-phase construction ofthe support. Naturally, this study was compared
with visual observations, an evaluation of resistance to touch on the back
of the support, and an assessment of the weight of the work in relation
to the type of wood. IR also proved useful for studying the support, as it
showed the preparatory image to be continuous between the upper and
lower sections. Thus, even if the preparation had been applied at different
times, the painting was conceived all at once.
Photographic documentation with diffuse and raking light
rev ealed the state ofpreservation of the preparatory and paint layers.
Thesame techniques allowed documentation of the structural condition
ofthe support and the treatment carried out in the 1950s.Construction technique
The painting, executed in oil on wood, measures 310 3 187 cm; it is
arched in the upper section. There was no cloth present as an isolation
layer between the wood and the preparatory layers. By 1540 such a318 Castelli
Figure 2
Domenico Beccafumi, The Coronation of the
Virgin. Radiography of the lap join.