Landscape Image

South Tower Portal, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna

Entrance hall into the south tower, Madonna, 14th century

Laserreinigung, Konservierung, Restaurierung

Client: Dombausekretariat St. Stephan

Project period: 2006

Location: Dombausekretariat St. Stephan

Technologies

Laser cleaning of the beautiful Madonna
(1) Laser cleaning of the beautiful Madonna
Undercoat with red colour residues
(2) Undercoat with red colour residues
  1. Limestone
  2. 40 µm light blue: white lead with some Azurite, oil painting
  3. 30 µm red: Minium, oil
Coat with blue colour residues
(3) Coat with blue colour residues
  1. white: white lead, strongly crackled, 1 blue Smalt grain on the surface, possibly only smudged from the overlying layer, strong oil browning on outside    
  2. 200 µm blue: white lead, in contrast to sample with smalt, these from discoloured section, oil colour
Plinth with green rim
(4) Plinth with green rim
  1. Sand and Calcium Carbonate (Limestone)
  2. green paint residues in the depressions: white lead, barite, chalk, ochre and green earth and some ultramarine
Fully cleaned Madonna, exposed remains of polychromy
(5) Fully cleaned Madonna, exposed remains of polychromy

During the laser-cleaning-process, original polychrome remains were found. When localised, this remains have been uncovered in a mechanical way.

South Tower Portal Exterior
(6) South Tower Portal Exterior
Fully cleaned and preserved hall
(7) Fully cleaned and preserved hall

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Only available in German.

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