Portrait of a clean-shaven man with a fur hat and fur collar [Verso]

Parchment, laminated onto hardboard

- the allied coat-of-arms does not appear to exhibit either ground or imprimatura layers

- the paint layer is presumably bound in oil, the application can largely be described as opaque

- the paint has been smoothly ground, in some colours pigment particles are visible

- frequently the colours were already mixed before they were applied to the support, this is manifested, among other, by the blend of pigment particles

The frame is new, each part of the painting has been mounted separately in an oak wood frame. The frame may be from the 1960s, when the painted parchment was removed from the reverse of the panel.

Both frames were joined together about a year ago and are now displayed mounted on a pedestal to show the intended double-sided decoration of the panel.

[Anke Preußer, Paintings Conservator, Kunsthalle Bremen, November 2012]

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black medium , feather

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

- delicate, fine lines

- hatching-strokes

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe essential details; little representation of volume; hatching-strokes define areas of shadow

Deviations:

- no alterations made during the painting process

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

History of Restoration:

The painting originally belonged together with the allied coat-of-arms. During treatment by Lily Lange-Bellstedt in 1962 the painting on parchment was removed from the panel.

Afterwards the reverse was presumably sanded down (open worm channels). The panel was impregnated with a mixture of ethanol, ethylene glycol and shellac, presumably to straighten it. A missing corner on the top right was reconstructed using plywood. Probalbly glue/chalk fills, retouches in water-colour and tempera (?), mastix varnish.

In 1975 the panel was treated again by Christiane Rohland. A slight convex warp was observed in the panel, which increased after the two battens attached to the frame were removed. The panel had evidently been subjected to undue stress by this framing system.

Consolidation of tenting at the bottom right with bees wax, varnish application with dammar to matt retouches, some synthetic resin retouches (AW2).

In 1979 the panel was again removed from its frame by Mrs Rohland to record a comparative curve. The warp had increased.

To reframe the panel pieces of cork were nailed into the rebate. Only the central section of the top and bottom of the rebate was padded. The backboard consisted of a press board, the rough side of which had been painted black and consituted the reverse of the frame.

[Bettina Landgrebe, condition report for loan request, Städelsche Kunstinstitute, Frankfurt, 7.2.2007, in the files of the Kunsthalle Bremen]

May 1975

Recto: slight convex warp. Tenting in the paint layers at the bottom, right edge. Small split bottom edge, left with lose retouches. Matt retouches. Scratch in the varnish in the face. slight blooming in varnish.

Verso: Two planks. Edges not bevelled. About 4mm thick. Old wood worm damage in the right corners, top and bottom.

[no author, conservation report in the files of the Kunsthalle Bremen, 1975]

• two wooden battens, which connected the allied coat-of-arms to the panel and were attached to the frame were removed. The panel was under tension and this caused the warp to increase. (see curve from 28.5.1975).

• the tenting in the paint layers on the right and flaking along the split were consolidated with yellowish bees wax. The matt retouches were varnished with dammar. Retouching with synthetic resin (AW2) was carried out in areas of loss along the split and in small losses in the area of tenting, where it had not already been carried out in a previous treatment. The warp was not treated.

[no author, conservation report in the files of the Kunsthalle Bremen, 1975]

April - May 1962

• the panel is very warped

• the painted parchment attached to the reverse has yellowed

• losses, dents, scratches

• the upper right corner has broken off (see photograph)

April 1962

Reverse [parchment]:

• dark brown, must be removed from the panel; as a result numerous tears and losses, blisters

[no author, conservation report in the files of the Kunsthalle Bremen, 1962]

• the parchment was removed from the reverse of the panel by impregnating it over a long period with a mixture of ethenol, ethylene glycol and shellac; varnish removal; losses filled and retouched with water-colours and tempera; the corner was reconstructed using plywood; varnished with mastix

Reverse [parchment]:

• laminated onto a hardboard employing a wax-colophonium adhesive; losses filled and retouched with water-colour and tempera; varnished with mastix, thin wax coating

[no author, conservation report in the files of the Kunsthalle Bremen, 1962]