With a little help of my friends. A hopeful educational methodology on retouching for conservation-restoration students on wooden sculpture.

Abstract

Is it possible to mix and match the theoretical foundations of Cesare Brandi - internationally recognized - with the new theories of Muñoz Viñas  for a new ethics of restoration, taking into account the suggestions of Paul Philippot, who was the first to deal with the restoration of wooden sculpture? For educational purposes in restoration schools, is not easy to cover all these aspects of retouching, but it is important to find a method that allows students to acquire a solid foundation, and then to deepen the different aspects of the question, hopefully simple but at the same time effective. The Author develops a proposal based on three basic cornerstones: 1. familiarity with the techniques of execution of the work of art and the materials of which it is composed (study of technical art history, and laboratory practice from painting to gilding); 2. study of the basic principles of the restoration theory; 3. practical experiments with the different techniques of pictorial integration (tratteggio, selezione cromatica, selezione effetto oro, dots, mimetic retouching), of the different retouching materials (watercolors, tempera, varnish colors, micaceous), and with protective coatings. In all situations the basic theoretical principles are: 1. recognizability: the pictorial restoration must always be easily recognizable (also using modern technologies); 2. reversibility, i.e. the retouching must be easily reversible without endangering the original work. Thus, the proposed methodology will be a useful tool to contribute and work on the wooden cultural heritage by including not only tangible aspects but also emotional, ideological and above all identity meanings.