the panel and the balsa, an extra piece of balsa was shaped to fill in the gap;
if, on the other hand, there was a protrusion on the panel, the block was
shaped or grooved to accommodate the protrusion, allowing the block to
fit closely against the relief panel. The blocks were then glued down. Once
the first layer was finished, it was leveled by planing. The second layer of
balsa was placed in the same direction as the first but was staggered so that
the joints were not superimposed (Fig. 4). That layer was also planed down
after it was in place. The edges were smoothed all around and the cradle
brushed with a solution of 10% Paraloid B72 in toluene, a coating intended
to ensure a good finish. The first phase of the treatment was over.
The problem of maintaining the reliefin its frame, however,
remained. As the frame was made simply of four lateral gilt-edged boards,
the question arose of how to attach it to the relief. Four boards were
added to the inside of the frame, so that an opening was left in the back.
They were glued and pegged; then cleats were glued on the cradle 1 cm
from the inside of the frame with pure Lascaux 443-95 wax, and springs
were screwed onto the cleats to hold the relief in the frame (Figs. 4, 5).362 Lebas
Figure 4
Martin Schaffner (attrib.), Annunciation.Model
showing the construction ofthe cradle and
the new attachment of the frame.
Figure 5
Martin Schaffner (attrib.), Annunciation.Back
ofthe reliefafter restoration.