Preparing her diploma work the author relined on to the thin transparent steelon chiffon a portrait of an unknown Polish bishop preserved in the Diocesan Museum, Tarnów. Within her work connected with the relining on a thin fabric, unsuitable to be stretched in traditional manner using the canvas pins, the author was faced by the necessity to prepare a special stretcher. The stretcher which has been specially designed to this purpose allows to stretch the painting evenly by applying of slats inserted into the folded and stitched borders of the relining chiffon. According to the need the tension can be adjusted by loosening or tightening the nuts placed on the stretcher’s outer side. Since it was intended to make the whole stretching construction invisible, the stretcher has been covered with a slightly moulded frame that may be easily mounted or removed. The above-described device is a prototype whose design may be improved and simplified as result of further considerations.
La possibilité d’employer des ma tériaux tran sp a rents pour le rentoilage des tab leau x s’avère être de grande importance au cas des mentions écrites, des signatures ou des sigles se tro u v an t au verso des tab leau x en question. La méthode de rentoilage s u r tissus de verres avec l’emploi de la cire résineuse qui fu t appliquée avec un ré su lta t satisfaisant à l’Atelier de conservation des peintures au Musée d e Lublin dans le traitem en t de conservation d’un p o rtra it d u ΧΙΧ-e siècle, est ju sq u ’à présent re la tivement la mieux élaborée. La p e in tu re de Makowski „Fête des. Enfants” (1931) étan t donné sa structure technique n ettem en t spécifique, exigeait, d’autres méthodes q u ’il a fallu m e ttre au point pour exécuter son rentoilage. S u r ce tab le au peint à sec, d’une fac ture v a ria ble, où à coté des empattements épais l’a rtiste avait laissé des fragments non peints de la toile du fond ou les reco u v ra it de „glacis” tran sp a ren t, la conservation de la couleur n atu re lle du tissu constitu a it l’une des conditions principales du programme des traitements de conservation. Après toute une série d’essais ayant pour but l'application des liants traditionnels e t des résines artificielles, l’emploi de la colle de farine de froment avec une légère addition de térébenthine vénitienne fut reconnue comme le meilleur des traitements. Deux couches de gaze en stylon collées et séchées jouent assez bien le rôle de couche de protection, grâce à leur tran sp a rence p erme ttant de lire les écrits au revers du tableau. Elles sont aussi faciles à enlever. Afin de réduire l’influence de l’humidité de l’atmosphère, la gaze a été enduite d ’une couche trè s mince de pate composée de cire et de baume canadien en to luène. L ’é ta t général du tableau avant la conservation é ta it trè s mauvais: une humidification de longue durée d e la p a rtie droite du tableau conditionna l’usure de la toile du fond e t des perte s de matière dans sa structure ; la colle animale dont fu t recouv e rt le tissu subit des boursouflures e t un délavage partiel, ce qui provoqua une p e rte d’adhésion de la couche picturale au support et sa dégradation. On a constaté des trac es de moisissure infectant le revers d u tableau. Les traitements de conservation — o u tre le ren toilage décrit ci-dessus ------ consistaient à désinfecte r le revers du tableau à l’àide du parachlorometacrésol à 0,5°/» dissolu dans le toluène, à protéger les bords des fragments écaillés p a r une solution d ’alcool polyvinylique et à renforcer l’adhérence de la peinture à la toile par la régénération de la colle, après avoir préalablement contrôlé la sensibilité du tissu à l’humidité, enfin ils consistaient à compléter les couleurs qui, pour les différencier de l’original, fu ren t étalées sur une couche de prépa ra tion teintée de la couleur de la toile e t d’une couleur de finissage à base d u liant d ’huile résineuse ou d’agglutin a n t d’aquarelle sur les parties minces du glacis. Dans ce tab leau mis en exposition depuis 1963 on n ’a pas constaté de changements visibles dans la lisibilité des écrits ou dans l’adhérence du ren to ilage à la toile.
In the method of a reversible relining of paintings on canvas bases, the adhesive is used solely on the relining canvas, and produces a self-adhesive coating. The author applied Plextol D 360 in numerous operations. The effects of research into the effectiveness of relining with the help of Plextol 360 were compared with the usage of other adhesives. The author also conducted a series of tests with other adhesives. Finally, he mentions various examples of employing Plextol D 360 in conservation work. (translated by A. Rodzińska-Chojnowska)
In July 1981 a Wrocław branch office of the Monuments Conservation Workshop brought to life a conservation workshop whose main task was to restore ’’The Panorama of Racławice”, one of the biggest Polish paintings (ca 120 m X 15 m). „The Panorama of Racławice” was painted in Lvov in 1892— 1894 by a team of painters under the direction o f Wojciech Kossak and Jan Styka. The painting depicts a victorious battle o f the Polish army commanded by Tadeusz Kościuszko, fought against a detachment of Russian General Alexander Torasov near Racławice on 4th April 1794. A complex history of the painting brought about its vast destruction. ’’The Panorama” was subjected to frequent conservation and protective operations. In 1927 in Lvov after coming off o f the canvas, the preservation works were carried out by Z. Rozwadowski, M. Harasimowicz, W. Kossak and J. Sty - k a ’s sons. In 1944 two bombs fe ll down on ’’The Panorama”. In 1949 and 1950, W. Szymborski undertook conservation works and after a six-year break (1956— 1958) ihe continued them. In 1957 E. and M. Dzieikoński won the competition for a project o f a display pavilion. In 1970— 1973 conservation works were carried out by a team o f 'Conservators headed by M. Baranowski. The plan was to ply-up the painting on wax and resin mass. The operation was never done. In th e light of modern conservation methods this kind o f procedure could bring about irreversible changes in the painting due to both a technique and agents. In 1980 the Social Committee for ’’The Panorama of Racławice” headed by A. Jaihn was created and it is still operating. The Committee initiated conservation of the .painting. The post o f the Conservator General was assumed by S. Filipiak. After a technological e x a mination and 'discussions held at the meetings o f the Commission for Conservation Surveillance a programme for conservation works was agreed. The conservators gave up th e initial idea (Art Academy in Cracow) of plying-up th e painting on a rigid base and refrained from using BEVA-Z-15 glue developed by G. A. Berger. The shrinking of glue during a ply ing -up process results in an extensive undulation of the original canvas. Following a series of the studies made, the Conservation Workshop demonstrated th a t 'the best adhesive for plying-up would be Acrylkleber 498 Hv by Lascaux (Switzerland). The adhesive w ill be put twice on a glass c lo th (plying-up) and after vaporization, the two canvases w ill be stioked together. A short time of treatment (1 second), temp. 60°C and low pressure guarantee the safety o f th is conservation procedure. In addition to this, the whole o f it w ill be coated with 10 per cent solution of Paraloid B-72 in acetone. During the process of plying-up the equipment emitting warm air at definite temperature and pressure w ill be installed. Set electromagnetic frames w ill be used to stiffen plied-up parts. It is also planned to add a fire- -proteGting ag ent to a plying-up adhesive. The painting will be hung on a special rail system. It allows to move gores onto any place o f the rotunda and to arrange them in a straight line. It w ill also be possible to control a vertical suspension o f the canvases. During conservation the following operations w ill be carried out: cleaning of the reverse from dirt and secondary adhesives (Kleaister, wax), seaming and darning of damaged parts of the canvas (only in the canvas structure but unimpairing a painting layer), impregnation of the reverse with 2X10 per cent solution of Paraloid B-72 in acetone, disinfection w ith 0.3 per cent acetone solution of p -сhloro-m-oresol, chemical removal of protections — Japanese paper and w a x paste, removal o f secondary varnish, repaintings and old putties, impregnation o f the facing with 5 per cent Paraloid B-72 in acetone, straightening of canvas d e fo r mation, sticking o f fine thin 'doth on the reverse w ith 15 per cent solution of Paraloid B-72 in acetone