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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter November 17, 2016

The Viennese Croÿ Albums: Options and Decisions Leading to the Conservation and Remounting of a Convolute of Double-Sided Gouache Paintings on Parchment

  • Junko Sonderegger

    Junko Sonderegger is currently working as paper conservator at the Conservation Department at the Austrian National Library. She received her BA in oil painting und prints from Tama Art University, Tokyo and her MA in oil painting conservation from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1997. From 1998 to 2002 she received the Research Fellowship from the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Foundation for Cultural Heritage and Art Research, Japan, to study European paper conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. She received her MA in paper conservation in 2004.

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    , Uta Landwehr

    Uta Landwehr studied sinology (M.A. Université de Provence, 1990) and paper conservation (Mag.Art. Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, 1998). Internships in the conservation and mounting of Asian paintings (Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; The British Museum, London; mounting studio Beijing). 1998–2000 freelance work as paper conservator. 2001–2002 Fellowship in Chinese paintings conservation at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Since end of 2002 paper conservator at the Conservation Department, Austrian National Library. Lecturer on Far Eastern mounting techniques at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

    and Christa Hofmann

    Christa Hofmann graduated from the conservation programme at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna specializing in paper conservation. She worked as a fellow at the Conservation Analytical Laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution and received further training in photo conservation during internships in the USA and France. She is working as paper and photograph conservator at the Austrian National Library where she has been Head of Conservation since 2003.

Abstract

The so-called Croÿ albums, kept by the Collection of Manuscripts and Rare Books at the Austrian National Library, form a convolute of 15 baroque red leather bindings housing 936 gouache paintings on double-sided parchments dating from 1560 to 1621. The opulently decorated topographic views of the possessions of Charles Duc de Croÿ (1560–1612) have undergone conservation treatment at the Institute for Conservation, followed by digitisation, allowing for a restricted access to the valuable albums. The planning of the project involved a wide range of possibilities and several levels of decisions. The construction of a decision tree and decision matrices helped to visualize the complexity of the issues involved and to consider the various options. The cultural importance of the Croÿ albums was decisive for choosing an overall treatment. Polyester pockets which had been added in the 1970s were removed from the albums. The fragile paint layers on the parchments were consolidated with gelatine. The modified remounting of the gouache paintings into the albums was done with a modified form of T-hinges which are combined with a protective layer of Japanese paper. Extremely sensitive paintings were taken out of the albums and mounted in double-sided mats. For the readers, an illustrated instruction sheet was placed into each volume’s archival box. It shows the correct turning of the album pages.

Zusammenfassung

Die Wiener Croÿ-Alben: Optionen und Entscheidungen, die zur Restaurierung und Neumontierung eines Konvoluts von doppelseitigen Gouachen auf Pergament geführt haben

Bei den sogenannten Croÿ-Alben in der Sammlung von Handschriften und alten Drucken der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek handelt es sich um 936 zwischen 1590 und 1621 entstandene, großformatige Gouachen auf beidseitig bemalten Pergamenten, die in 15 barocken Alben verwahrt werden. Die reich dekorierten topographischen Ansichten der Besitzungen von Charles Duc de Croÿ (1560–1612) wurden am Institut für Restaurierung in einem mehrjährigen Projekt konserviert und digitalisiert, sodass eine eingeschränkte Benutzung der Croÿ-Alben möglich ist. Es stand eine breite Palette an Behandlungsvarianten und Entscheidungen auf mehreren Ebenen zur Debatte. Ein Entscheidungsbaum und davon abgeleitete Entscheidungsmatrizen halfen, die verschiedenen Optionen und ihre komplexen Beziehungen herauszuarbeiten. Die kulturelle Bedeutung der Croÿ-Alben gab den Ausschlag für eine umfassende Behandlung. In den 1970er Jahren eingeklebte Polyestertaschen wurden aus den Alben entfernt. Die fragile Malschicht der Blätter wurde mit Gelatine gefestigt, aufgetragen mithilfe eines Aerosolgenerators und dünner Pinsel. Die modifizierte Rückmontage der Gouachen in die Alben erfolgte mit einer eigens erarbeiteten Sonderform von T-Falzen, die mit einer Schutzschicht aus Japanpapier kombiniert wurden. Besonders empfindliche Blätter wurden einzeln in doppelseitige Passepartouts montiert. Die konservierten Bände werden liegend in je einer Archivbox in einem klimatisierten Depot gelagert. Für BenutzerInnen wird ein illustriertes Instruktionsblatt beigelegt, das zeigt, wie beim Umblättern der Pergamente vorzugehen ist.

Résumé

Les Albums Croÿ Viennois: options et décisions menant à la restauration et au remontage d’un ensemble de gouaches double face sur parchemin

Les albums dits Croÿ, préservés dans la collection de manuscrits et livres rares de la Bibliothèque Nationale d’Autriche, forment un ensemble de 15 reliures baroques en cuir rouge contenant 936 gouaches recto-verso sur parchemins datant de 1560 à 1621. Les vues topographiques richement décorées des possessions de Charles Duc de Croÿ (1560–1612) ont subi un traitement de conservation à l’Institut de Restauration, suivi d’une numérisation, permettant de limiter l’accès aux précieux albums. L’organisation du projet a impliqué un large éventail de possibilités et plusieurs niveaux de décisions. La construction d’un arbre décisionnel et de schémas de décision a permis de visualiser la complexité des questions en jeu et d’examiner les différentes options. L’importance culturelle des albums Croÿ a été décisive dans le choix d’un traitement global. Les pochettes polyester qui avait été ajoutées dans les années 70 ont été retirées des albums. Les couches de peinture fragiles sur les parchemins ont été consolidées avec de la gélatine. Le remontage des gouaches dans les albums a été réalisé avec une forme modifiée de charnières en T combinées avec une couche protectrice de papier japonais. Les peintures particulièrement sensibles ont été retirées des albums et montés dans des passe-partouts double face. Pour les lecteurs, une fiche d’instructions a été placée dans la boîte de conditionnement de chaque volume. Celle-ci décrit la façon correcte de tourner les pages des albums.

About the authors

Junko Sonderegger

Junko Sonderegger is currently working as paper conservator at the Conservation Department at the Austrian National Library. She received her BA in oil painting und prints from Tama Art University, Tokyo and her MA in oil painting conservation from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1997. From 1998 to 2002 she received the Research Fellowship from the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Foundation for Cultural Heritage and Art Research, Japan, to study European paper conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. She received her MA in paper conservation in 2004.

Uta Landwehr

Uta Landwehr studied sinology (M.A. Université de Provence, 1990) and paper conservation (Mag.Art. Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, 1998). Internships in the conservation and mounting of Asian paintings (Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; The British Museum, London; mounting studio Beijing). 1998–2000 freelance work as paper conservator. 2001–2002 Fellowship in Chinese paintings conservation at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Since end of 2002 paper conservator at the Conservation Department, Austrian National Library. Lecturer on Far Eastern mounting techniques at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

Christa Hofmann

Christa Hofmann graduated from the conservation programme at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna specializing in paper conservation. She worked as a fellow at the Conservation Analytical Laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution and received further training in photo conservation during internships in the USA and France. She is working as paper and photograph conservator at the Austrian National Library where she has been Head of Conservation since 2003.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank: Ursula Dreibholz, paper conservator, for information about the treatment in the 1970s; Jana Dřevíkovská and Karel Křenek, National Library of the Czech Republic, for information about the Czech Croÿ albums; the département des Estampes et de la photographie, Bibliothèque nationale de France for access to their Croÿ album; Sarah Fiddyment and Jiří Vnouček, University of York, for the MALDI-TOF analysis of the parchment samples; Martina Pfenninger-Lepage, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and Kyu-Jin Ahn, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, for conducting the ATR-FTIR analysis; Irmgard Pfeiffer, Digital Services at the Austrian National Library, for her patience with digitising the paintings; our colleagues of the Institute for Conservation and the Collection of Manuscripts and Rare Books for valuable discussions and ideas.

Figures: © Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

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Materials and suppliers

Acetone, W. Neuber’s Enkel Gross-Drogerie, www.neubers-enkel.at

Acrylic ink, Aero Color® Professional, finest airbrush colours, Schmincke, www.schmincke.de

Aerosol generating system AGS 2000, Zentrum für Bucherhaltung GmbH, www.zfb.com

Archival box, KS17, Klug Conservation, www.klug-conservation.de

Cotton tape (Schirting), starch based with gumming, natural white, Klug Conservation, www.klug-conservation.de

Double-coated pressure sensitive tape, 3M tape 415, 1/2" wide, distributor Röckelein GmbH, Mühlheimer Str. 15, 90451 Nürnberg,

Ethanol Prima 96 %, denatured with petrolether, AustrAlco, Österreichische Agrar-Alkohol Handelsgesellschaft mbH, www.australco.at

Gelatine, Gelita Type Novo tec® GP Technical Grade, Gelita Gelatine Type Restoration 1 Photographic Grade, www.gelita.com, distributor GMW, http://gmw-shop.de/

Heat gun, Leister Labor Station, Deffner & Johann, www.deffner-johann.de

Isopropanol, W. Neuber’s Enkel Gross-Drogerie, www.neubers-enkel.at

Japanese paper, RK-1, RK-14, RK-19, K-38, K-42, Paper Nao, www.papernao.com

Japanese paper, Usumino B5, Japico Feinpapier-Vertriebs GmbH, www.japico.at

Klucel® G, distributor GMW, http://gmw-shop.de/

Methylcellulose, Methocel™® A4M, Kremer Pigmente, www.kremer-pigmente.com

Mat board, Canson® carton conservation, blanc antique, 18/10eme, 81×120 cm; 12/10eme, 81×120 cm, Europapier, www.europapier.com

Natural rubber sponge, Wallmaster, distributor GMW, http://gmw-shop.de/

Parchment, William Cowley Parchment Makers, www.williamcowley.co.uk

pH-indicator strips pH 4.0-7.0, Neutralit®, Merck, www.merck.at

Restoration paper, Ulbricht® A, Gangolf Ulbricht Papierwerkstatt Berlin, www.papiergangolfulbricht.de

Rubber Cleaner, Mitsuwa, Fukuoka Kogyo co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan, www.fukuoka-ind.com/

Scanner, Zeutschel® OS 14000 A1-High-End Scanner, www.zeutschel.de

Lettering brush da Vinci – Nova Synthetics 5/0, Series 1270, www.davinci-defet.com

Wheat starch, Nebel KG, www.nebel.co.at

Watercolor, Horadam® Aquarell, finest artists’ water-colours, Schmincke, www.schmincke.de


Supplemental Material

The online version of this article (DOI: 10.1515/res-2016-0008) offers supplementary material, available to authorized users.


Received: 2016-6-16
Revised: 2016-10-12
Accepted: 2016-10-24
Published Online: 2016-11-17
Published in Print: 2016-12-1

©2016 by De Gruyter

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