PROJECT

 

One of two large paintings by Pietro Paolo Caruana (1794-1852), pertaining to the Presidential Palace in Valletta and representing St. Michael the Archangel. This conservation and restoration project was entrusted to me by Heritage Malta.

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Prior to treatments, the two large canvas paintings measuring 3m in length and over 2m in width, exhibited various tears as well as canvas lacunae and deformations. The two canvas paintings were strip-lined, in which pieces of new canvas were attached to the original tacking margins, thus allowing the re-stretching of the canvases onto newly manufactured stretcher frames. Other treatments involved the thinning down of the oxidised and yellowed varnish layer, and integration of losses in the preparation and paint layers.

Their decorative frames were also treated. Treatments involved structural interventions of the wooden supports, consolidation of unstable areas, the removal of old glue layers, shellac and silver leaf which were covering the original gilding, and integration of losses.