64 Bazin insists on “the importance of the support in the historical document which the painting
constitutes”; the destruction of the support comes from “radical measures affecting the
integrity of the object” (Marette 1961:11).
65 Archives of the Louvre, P 16 (1957–74), Huot RF 1981, G. Moreau, Hésiode et la muse(thinned
to 2 mm; glued on marine-grade plywood of 8 mm and cradled): 900.
66 Archives of the Louvre (17 May 1968), C 426, Pérugin, La Vierge et l’Enfant dans un gloire de
séraphins(MI 551).
67 See, for example, Archives of the Louvre (18 June 1970), Florence, Jacopo di Cione, Le Mariage
mystique de Sainte-Catherine(MI 409, C 73) (thinned to 2 mm and glued on a latté with the back
re-covered with a thin plate of old wood).
68 School of Romagne,La Vierge et l’Enfant entre Saint-Pierre et Saint-Jean-Baptiste avec deux anges
agenouilleés(MI 491, C 267).
69 See Rostain 1981. The plywood approved for marine use derives its resistance to humidity and
to severe external stresses from the choice of excellent wood and of adhesives that age well.
The latté is composed of boards pressed between two thin sheets of wood the grain of which
runs perpendicular to that of the boards. The thickness of the boards corresponds to three-
quarters of the total thickness.
70 Fresco V. Mottez, Mme Mottez(Louvre, RF 1296), previously unfastened; the reinforcement of
the support was done by Mme Berteaux (cf. N. Volle 1989, p. 16).
71 A. Solario, La Déploration sur le Christ mort(Louvre, RF 1978-35) (cf. Volle 1989:18).
72 The first experiments with balsa took place in the United States at the Fogg Museum and were
carried out by R. D. Buck in about 1930. Balsa backings are still in use; the issue was recently
discussed in Brussels at l’Ecole de la Cambre under J.-A. Glatigny (Habaru 1990–91).
73 Archives of the Louvre, P 16 (1957–74): Huot, 15 November 1965: Palmezzano, Le Christ mort
entre deux anges(Louvre, MI 680), three wood crossbars hollowed on the side of the panel and
cleats glued.
74 In working out the system of mobile backing in Altuglass, the important role of René Guilly
(d. 1992) must be noted. Guilly advocated ongoing research as a component of the restoration
policies governing wood supports.
75 The system of cross-grain tenons is found not only in Quarton’s fifteenth-century work La
Pietàbut also in Hugo van der Goes’sLa Mort de la Viergein Ghent; the system is found later,
more rarely, in the seventeenth century, as in Le Sueur’s series on the history of Saint Bruno
for the charterhouse of Paris.
76 The term for “mechanical” (Fr. méchanique, It. meccanico) is gener ally used in the eighteenth
century in archival texts and has to do with the supports of painting; this term is used in
opposition to “picturesque”—referring to aspects that have to do with the paint layer.
77 Concurrent with the emergence in Rome of the study of the history of art, in late eighteenth-
century Italy a great deal of thought was devoted to restoration. The comments of the restor-
ers and their technical analyses of various styles were very influential (Chastel 1974). The
philosophy of restoration was formalized with regard to architecture in 1809 by G. Valadier;
only later was it formalized for painting, in 1936–38, by the art historian Cesare Brandi.
Brandi’s role was extremely important and explains why, from 1950 to 1970, Italy was the
crucible of several experiments, including those concerning wood. The research projects of
Giovanni Urbani in 1970–71 must also be mentioned.Baldi, R., G. G. Lisini, C. Martelli, and S. Martelli
1992 La cornice fiorentina e senese(Storia e techniche di restauro). Florence: Alinea.Baruffaldi, G.
1834 Vita di Antonio Contri, ferrarese, pittore e rilevatore de pitture dai Muri.Venice.References
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