The Pictorial Treatment of the 18th Century Painted Lambriggio in the Alcova Room of Palazzo Chiablese: Methodological Approach, Technical Solutions and Retouching

Abstract

[EN] This paper illustrates the results of the diagnostic campaign, the problems that emerged and the choices made during the 2019 intervention in the Alcova room of Palazzo Chiablese, paying particular attention to the phase of aesthetic restitution of the polychrome wooden lambriggio with panels dated to the second half of the 18th century. The radical changes in the intended use of the environment during the 19th century, associated with the destruction that occurred during WW2, left indelible wounds on the painted artefacts. In particular, the panels have undergone repeated treatments such as to conceal, in some cases, the 18th century paintings, creating a strong visual discontinuity. The pictorial activity included diversified technical solutions, modulated according to the specific problems encountered: small retouching alternated with extensive reconstructions based on historical photographic documentation and on direct comparison with the decorative elements of the most preserved panels. In compliance with the conservative history of the artefacts an overall recovery project was developed aimed at the search for a new aesthetic unit capable of coherently communicating with the remaining fixed furniture and mobile environment.