The restoration of “The Annunciation” by Fra Angelico

The restoration of Zangélico's The Annunciation aimed primarily at recovering the color light and spatial clarity that had gradually faded over time beneath layers of pollution and grime We cannot say that its condition posed a risk to the artwork but its aesthetic appearance was indeed very poor especially due to the strong presence of the heavily altered old retouches particularly those located on the angel’s figure or the Virgin’s lapis lazuli mantle This aesthetic flaw was compounded by a layer of pollution that obscured the depth and volume of the composition flattening everything into a single plane Prior to beginning the restoration of this artwork technical studies of the painting were conducted to gain a thorough understanding of the work's conservation condition as well as the creative process employed by the artist To achieve this infrared spectroscopy radiography and comprehensive photographic documentation have been carried out Once the data from these studies were analyzed the type of restoration to be carried out was planned In these studies a structural issue was identified in the support—a long-standing problem that arose when two of its four panels separated The second and third panels separated at some point in the past at an unknown date causing instability in the paint and significant damage to the artwork These led to several restorations of which we only know the last one carried out between 1943 and 1944 by Jerónimo Seisdedos who was responsible for restoring the painting And Ángel Antelo who restored the support permanently reestablished the connection between the panels making it unnecessary to intervene in them during the current restoration The first phase of the restoration involved cleaning the painted surface to remove the layer of pollution but this operation posed a significant challenge given that the layer of dirt was directly bonded to the paint Its technique involves tempera a very delicate and water-sensitive medium requiring the use of an aqueous solution to remove this dirt Moreover it should be noted that the painting lacked a varnish likely during the most recent restoration in 1943 a very thin layer was applied Over time it gradually deteriorated losing its protective ability Therefore it was essential to find a cleaning method that would allow us to work safely on the project For this cleaning process we've chosen a silicone gel as our method using it to carry the aqueous solution required to remove this layer of dirt At the same time the silicone acted as a protective barrier for the paint preventing it from seeping through any pores or cracks in the surface into the underlying layers Thus the grayish-brown tone of the architecture gradually transformed into a bright white with subtle shades reminiscent of those seen in the exquisite capitals of the portico As we progressed with the cleanup lifting that gray veil of pollution the intense beam of light began to claim the space A light that through cleanliness has reclaimed its central role in this composition—a role the artist intended to make it mystical After the cleaning was complete the old oil repainting severely damaged became visible following the crack's path between the panels While examining the angel's wing during the restoration process I noticed an unusual shape entirely inconsistent with the artist's style Moreover it was incongruous that the two wings were asymmetrical: while the rear wing had a curved shape the front one was straight and sinuous Once the painting and its characteristics had been examined it became clear that removing the overpaint would reveal the angel's original wing After obtaining management approval I began the initial lift tests on the ore sample and scarcely had I started when a sizable particle of gold appeared It was a highly significant discovery that one hand marked the starting point of the original wing's upward curve and on the other indicated where the wing reached at its base reaching all the way to this golden particle rather than stopping at the ornamental border of the robe as it has done until now Yet another discovery added to this find: a groove etched into the gold tracing the wing’s original curve This incision gave us all the information we could possibly need to accurately determine the original wing's structure Once the wing's gilded frame had been erected the restoration work was handed over to the specialist in gilded restoration And in this case that person was Gema García who has managed every aspect of this difficult process In addition to the very localized touch-ups across the entire crack area there were other touch-ups using dark dull tones They concealed the volume and folds of the pencil mantle while simultaneously clouding its purity and transparency of this beautiful color chosen by Fra Angelico for this important element of the composition Another significant issue was the one concealing major damage at Adam's clinic a burn mark left by a candle in the past as we have seen in the old photographs e ones prior to the 1943 restoration The next step taken in this restoration involved consolidating several specific areas of the surface which showed some instability in the paint Next the paint losses were filled in with plaster to level them with the surface For this calcium sulfate and animal glue were used—materials consistent with those employed by the artist The final phase of the restoration involved the chromatic reintegration of missing color areas The surface unit has been restored particularly in the crack area where the angel's figure and composition had been split apart The plasterwork was painted with watercolor matching the hue as closely as possible to the original Then the surface was coated with a self-made natural damar resin varnish Finally these watercolor tones were adjusted with pigments mixed into the varnish a procedure that had to be carried out using a highly delicate technique based on thin transparent layers as demanded by the masterful historical method of Fra Angelico Restoring a masterpiece as iconic as Fra Angelico's Annunciation a true symbol in the history of art It carries immense responsibility because it's a work that has been known by a certain image up to now and that image will be entirely different after the restoration We cannot fail to mention certain details that highlight the exceptionally high technical standard of this painting The features of the face especially the Virgin's eyes where the eyelashes are barely more than painted matter They're hard to see unless we observe them through a magnifying glass or a high-resolution image Likewise the meticulous crafting of the eyebrows and mouth with such delicate outlining is truly exquisite just below the lower lip a very fine white line All these details are likewise visible on the angel's face subtle details revealing an exceptionally delicate meticulous and flawless technique—evidence of Fra Angelico’s early artistic career as a miniaturist Subtitles created by the Amara org community