Samson and Delila

W: 96 cm; H:131 cm; T: 6 cm, wood, profile: bare wood with a brown glaze; gilded inner profile

- the backboard has been customized to accomodate the warp (total depth: 10.5 cm)

- probably hardwood

- 3 planks alligned vertically; width of the planks: left plank: 42 cm; central plank 17 cm; right plank 23 cm

- the panel is chamfered along the top, left and right edges.

- the reverse of the panel exhibits a thick wax coating

- the painted edge is preserved along the top edge the other edges have been trimmed

- the reverse of the panel was planed and thinned

Material: glue/chalk (?), Colour: pale, Barbe: top edge

- an underdrawing is only partially visible in the figures

• the panel is slightly warped; there are an extensive number of blocks attached to the reverse, cradled

• flaking along the central joint between the left and central plank and along the right edge. - small losses along the central joint

• extensive blooming in the red robes of the main figures

• extensive overpaint in the sky

• discoloured retouches over the entire surface

• the damage from 1930 has compromised the surface texture in the upper section of the painting (small deformations)

• yellowed, surface dirt

Ground/Paint Layers

consolidated with: sturgeon's glue

Regeneration attempts with ethanol were not successful

Retouching/Overpaint partially removed (in the sky) with ethanol

Filled with a glue/chalk mixture

retouched with lean Mussini resin-oil paint (Schmincke), diluent: oil of terpentine

Varnish

Surface cleaning with distilled water 50% + 50% boiled water

The reverse ogf the panel was cleaned dry (only vacuumed due to the thickness of the wax layer)

The waxy and thick varnish was removed in the area of the sky and thinned in other areas with a solution of Isooctan - Ethanol - Shellsol A (Ratio: 3 + 1 + 1)

Isolating varnish, brush application, Dammar in oil of terpentine (1:6)

Final varnish: Dammar in oil of terpentine (1:6)

The thick wax patches were removed mechanically

Materials used:

water, sturgeon's glue, glue/chalk admixture, ethanol, isooctan, Shellsol A, Mussini resin/oil paints (Schmincke); diluent: oil of terpentine. Dammer varnish

Summary

The conservation treatment had to be carried out within a very short period of time (1 month) it was therefore necessary to strike a compromise regarding the extent to which old discoloured retouches were removed. They were removed from the sky and reworked in other areas. Thus an aesthetically homogenous image was achieved for the exhibition.

1930 damage caused by an exploding fire-extinguisher in the Augsburg Gallery

1930-32 Conservation treatment:

The painting was taken to the Alte Pinakothek. The following participated in the difficult process of deciding on an adequate treatment: Dörnhöffer, H. Kinkelin and another restorer from the Alte Pinakothek, as well as Hans Aulmann, A. L. Mayer and Walter Gräff.

It was decided to take a - then completely new - minimalist approach. Instead of commissioning the Augsburg artist Niedoba to completely overpaint the loss their justified fear of later alterations lead them to recommend a conservation treatment of the surface before retouching.

During this decission making stage a chemical neutralization of the paint surface was successfully tested on dummies by the enigineer Heinz Hetterich. Ultimately it was decided not to neutralize the painting, but rather to treat it with numerous applications of linseed oil. (Text from: Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Jahresbericht 1998, 12-24, here p. 19)