Conservation issues
The panel was in poor condition — the most urgent problem
was the extensive delamination or lifting between the paint/ground
layers and the underlying wood. Differences in movement
of these layers, provoked by changes in humidity, resulted
in this damage. The delamination of decorative layers was
most pronounced above or near joins between planks.
The old putty pushed into gaps between planks had largely
shrunk and cracked causing the paint and ground layers
above the putty to crack and, in many places, to fall
away. Several previous campaigns of restoration had replaced
the missing ground and paint. These repairs are detectable
under ultraviolet light. Much of the background was overpainted
in order to disguise large losses along plank joins.
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