In nineteenth-century Italy, as in the rest of Europe, more in-
depth interventions treating warpage problems became common practice.
The brutality with which deformed panels were straightened generates
respect for the malleable and resilient nature of wood. Panels were planed
down to a fraction of their original thicknesses and often humidified to
relax the warp. Then, invariably, a heavy cradle would be applied. Often
the thinning process and application of the rigid cradle later caused severe
deformations of the surface (Figs. 9, 10). Some of the methods described
by Secco-Suardo include the application of hot cinders and sand, as well as
the addition of hot bricks, ifnecessary, to prolong the process. If the pan-
els were severely deformed, he recommended cutting longitudinal grooves
at intervals of 1–2 cm before applying the above-mentioned hot cinders.
After the panel had been straightened, strips of wood were glued into the
grooves (Secco-Suardo 1866:55–65). Unfortunately, cutting grooves to
straighten panels is still practiced today by some restorers and accounts for
the dreaded “washboard” effect.
For partially deformed panels, Secco-Suardo also mentioned a
method developed by a certain Déon, a Frenchman. In this method,
tapered longitudinal V-shaped channels are sawn into the panel at inter-
vals of 1–2 cm; V-shaped wooden strips are wedged into these with the
aid of animal glue and humidity. Next the panel is placed face down on
a bench and clamped tight with crossbars and wedges for an extended
period (Secco-Suardo 1866:75–88). Unfortunately, all of these drastic inter-
ventions can lead to the formation of a new series of cracks and splits.
Today the disastrous effects of most of these radical interventions
are apparent, and the general tendency is to leave distortions alone so as
not to cause other problems (Stout et al. 1954). Cradles that pose no dan-
ger are best left on; and if the battens stick, they are removed and sanded.
Paraffin is then applied to make them slide more easily. Many cradles,
though, have had to be removed because of the excessive restraint they192 Rothe
Figure 9, above
Giulio Romano,The Birth of Bacchus,ca. 1533.
Oil on panel, 127.3 3 79 cm. The J. Paul Getty
Museum, Los Angeles. Splits and surface
deformations, creating what is often called the
“washboard” effect, have been caused by a
nineteenth-century thinning of the panel and
application ofa heavy cradle.
Figure 10, above right
Giulio Romano,The Birth ofBacchus,reverse.
The cradle was applied to the back when the
panel was thinned. Rigid and heavy, it has
contributed to the splits and deformations on
the front (Fig. 9).