Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [outer movable wing, right]: St Valentin [recto], St Nicholas increasing the amount of wheat [verso top], St Nicholas saving three knight from death penalty [verso bottom]

St Valentine [recto]

DESCRIPTION

(the evaluation is restricted to the lower left section of the painting)

Tools/Material:

- the initial rough design was executed with a hard drawing implement, black chalk?; followed by a fluid, black drawing medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- relatively detailed and freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines

- fine hatching-strokes (only in the faces)

Function:

- only in part binding for the final painted version; the lines delineate the main contours and decribe the forms within shapes and facial features; in the faces volume is represented with hatching-strokes

Deviation:

- adjustments were made to the forms during the painting process; numerous small changes

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Master of the Döbeln Highaltar (Valentin Elner?)

The miraculous multiplication of the wheat [verso, top]

DESCRIPTION

(the evaluation is restricted tot he lower and central sections of the painting)

Tools/Material:

- the initial rough design was executed with a hard drawing implement, black chalk?; over this a fluid, black drawing medium was employed with a brush

Type/Ductus:

-loose and freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader

Function:

- only roughly binding for the final painted version; the lines delineate the main contours and describe the forms within shapes and facial features; no representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- forms were adjusted and reworked during the painting process; numerous larger and smaller changes; the group of houses at the left were not considered in the initial design

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Master of the Döbeln Highaltar (Valentin Elner?)

Nicolaus saves three innocent condemned knights [verso, bottom]

DESCRIPTION

(the evaluation is restricted to a detail)

Tools/Material:

- fluid, black drawing medium, brushes

Type/Ductus:

- loose and freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; the lines delineate the main contours and describe the forms within shapes and facial feature; no representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- adjustments were made to forms during the painting process; numerous small changes

INTERPRETATION

Attributions:

- Master of the Döbeln Highaltar (Valentin Elner?)

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2016]

Treatment:

• surface cleaning

• consolidation of the paint layers

• conservation of damages wood including identification and reattachment of broken elements, partial reconstruction of missing elements

• concept developed to reconstruct the original coloration

• original coatings uncovered on the carved elements and partially reintegrated with the later coatings

• varnish removal on the painted panels

• filling and retouching of losses in the paint layers

[http://anke-stenzel.de/referenzen/holzobjekte.htm; accessed 11 Aug 2015]

[http://www.kirchgemeinde-doebeln.de/index.php/nicolai/altar; accessed 11 Aug 2015]

Conservation treatment

[http://www.kirchgemeinde-doebeln.de/index.php/nicolai/altar; accessed 11 Aug 2015]

Conservation treatment

[http://www.kirchgemeinde-doebeln.de/index.php/nicolai/altar; accessed 11 Aug 2015]

Conservation treatment, paint layers retouched

[Sandner 1993, 143]