Painting Restorations for the Reopening of the Neue Nationalgalerie the Relocation and Exhibition of the Art Works in the Neue N
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Painting Restorations for the Reopening of the Neue Nationalgalerie The relocation and exhibition of the art works in the Neue Nationalgalerie’s presentation The Art of Society provided the initiative for the conservation and restoration of some 34 paintings and one piece of sculpture currently on display. This work was undertaken not only to best present the works in a pristine condition but above all, to conservationally secure some of the most important and unique works of art. From both art historical and art technological perspectives, the versatility of art at the beginning of 20th century was unlike that of any other epoch of our time. The transition from traditional methods and workshop practices to a freer working style, with artists employing the most diverse of techniques, materials and styles, pose particular challenges for contemporary conservators. Undertaking such a task demands both a well-trained eye and meticulous investigative research. The boundaries between an artist’s work and alterations by the artist or others are often blurred or cannot be immediately discerned. Painting in this period was characterised by abstract compositions, multistage creation processes, the use of new, commercially available products, the joy in experimentation as well as the employment of unusual material combinations. Consequently, it cannot be ruled out that phenomena related to painting techniques may already have led to changes or damage in the art works, not to mention improper handling and/or later revisions, reworkings and restorations. An in-depth analysis of the various components of a work is essential for its conservation and restoration. The Conservation Department at the Neue Nationalgalerie ‒ Hana Streicher, Ina Hausmann and Ella Dudew ‒ used current art technological methods to analyse the works and devise appropriate conservation measures. In the execution, the Conservation Department was assisted in part by freelance restorers. Three of the restorations were made possible through the generous support of the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung (Natalia Goncharova and Sascha Wiederhold) and the Herman Reemtsma Stiftung (Wilhelm Lehmbruck). All of the restored paintings and Wilhelm Lehmbruck’s sculpture can be viewed in the exhibition, where they shine once again in their former/new-found glory. A small selection of works conserved and restored for the exhibition The Art of Society: Erich Buchholz, Blutgesang (Ströme) (Blood Song), 1920, oil on canvas, 148 x 148 cm Conservation treatment: Catherina Blohm Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching, reframing Robert Delaunay, Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower), 1928, oil on canvas, 364 x 266.5 cm Conservation treatment: Hana Streicher, Ina Hausmann Detailed art technological examination, consolidation, surface cleaning, regeneration of the finish, retouching; (see separate summary) Natalia Goncharova, Die Uhr (The Clock), 1910, oil on canvas, 105 x 79 cm Conservation treatment: Anke Klusmeier, funded by the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching, reframing George Grosz, Stützen der Gesellschaft (Pillars of Society), 1926, oil on canvas, 200 x108 cm Conservation treatment: Barbara Hausmann Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Atelierecke (Studio Corner), 1919‒20, oil on canvas, 126 x 121 cm Conservation treatment: Felicitas Klein Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Porträt Erna Schilling (Portrait of Erna Schilling), 1913, oil on canvas, 71.5 x 60.5 cm Conservation treatment: Hana Streicher Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Der Belle-Alliance-Platz in Berlin (The Belle-Alliance-Platz in Berlin), 1914, oil on canvas, 96 x 85 cm Conservation treatment: Anke Klusmeier Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Rheinbrücke in Köln (Bridge Over the Rhine in Cologne), 1914, oil on canvas, 120.5 x 91 cm Conservation treatment: Felicitas Klein Painting on the backside of the canvas, partial restreching, consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching Max Pechstein, Am Strand von Nidden (On the Beach at Nidden), 1911, oil on canvas, 50 x 65 cm Conservation treatment: Catherina Blohm Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Selbstbildnis mit Einglas (Self-Portrait with Monocle), 1910, oil on canvas, 84 x 76.5 cm Conservation treatment: Felicitas Klein Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching Sascha Wiederhold, Bogenschützen (Archers), 1928, oil on cardboard on canvas, 204 x 240 cm Conservation treatment: Roeck Restaurierung, funded by the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching, installation of oscillation protection Emil Nolde, Papua-Jünglinge (Papuan Boys), 1914, oil on canvas, 70 x 103.5 cm Conservation treatment: Felicitas Klein Consolidation, surface cleaning, filling, retouching Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Torso der Knienden (Torso of the Kneeling Woman), 1911‒13, plaster on cement, 156 x 71 x 23 cm Conservation treatment: Wolfgang Maßmann, Nina Wegen, funded by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung Reassembly of this sculpture severely damaged by a fall; (see separate summary) CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION Robert Delaunay, Eiffel Tower, 1928, oil on canvas Summary Robert Delaunay created the large-format painting Eiffel Tower, the last in a series, in Paris in 1928. Depicting the Eiffel Tower in Paris in blazing colour and from a bird’s eye view, it was inspired by photographs taken from aeroplanes. The Eiffel Tower becomes practically a rocket, seeming to launch from the earth. An advanced state of ageing, numerous revisions, soiling and previous restorations, as well as a now cloudy finish, prompted the conservation and restoration of the painting to ensure its prominent inclusion in the Neue Nationalgalerie’s inaugural reopening exhibition. © Photo: Germaine Krull © SMB, Nationalgalerie. Photo: Ina Hausmann © SMB, Nationalgalerie. Photo: Hana Streicher Robert Delaunay at work on Eiffel Hana Streicher during The work environment for the Tower, 1928. Photo: Germaine restoration of Robert restoration of Robert Eiffel Tower Krull Delaunay’s Eiffel Tower Delaunay’s Due to surface soiling and the partially milky (blanched) and irregularly applied finish coating that covered this colourful work like a grey smear, the painting exhibited an overall diffuse and noticeably uneven surface optic. There were numerous areas with layers of lifting paint across the work’s entire surface. The restoration objective was to secure all areas of flaking paint layers to prevent future losses and to give the painting a cohesive and visually aesthetic overall impression. The measures were accompanied by extensive art-technological examinations such as macro and microscopic inspections under visible light as well as UV excitation, sampling and analyses. © SMB, Nationalgalerie, Foto: Ina Hausmann Cleavage and lifting paint layer s before (above ) and after (below) Intermediate stage of surface cleaning consolidation © SMB, Nationalgalerie. Photos: Hana Streicher Overall view under ultraviolet light Detail, showing clear streaks in the finish The deterioration of the finishing coat or varnish (known as blanching) appears opaque white and can, in some cases, be regenerated with the help of solvents. Such interventions must be carefully considered to achieve the desired effect and avoid any damage to the original substance. In Delaunay’s Eiffel Tower, the original appearance was severely distorted by soiling and blanching. Thanks to the measures carried out by the restorer, the painting has regained its readability. Detail with blanching before (left) and after (right) the Detail with blanching before (up) regeneration and after (down) the regeneration Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Torso der Knienden, 1911–13 A restoration of the Wilhem Lehmbruck’s Torso der Knienden (Torso of the Kneeling Woman), which a museum visitor accidently knocked over at the Alte Nationalgalerie in July 1989, was initially considered unpromising. The fall had caused immense and presumably irreparable damage to the sculpture. The challenge lay in the complicated nature of the damage occurrence due to the artwork’s technological peculiarities and unusual combination of different materials. Nonetheless, on the basis of various preliminary investigations a concept for finding an aesthetically acceptable solution that considered the work’s production technology and corresponded to its previous sculptural condition was developed and partially implemented beginning in 1990‒91. Due to restructuring resulting from German reunification, the restoration measures could not be continued in the years that followed. It was not until 2020‒21 that it became possible to complete the restoration of this exceptional statue thanks to generous financial support from the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung. Project management/restoration: Wolfgang Maßmann, head of the Restoration Department, Antikensammlung (Collection of Classical Antiquities) Restoration: Nina Wegel, freelance conservator © Foto: Nina Wegel, Berlin 2020 2020 Wegel, Berlin Nina © Foto: © Foto: Karin März, Berlin 1989 1989 Berlin März, Karin © Foto: 4. In addition to joining the sculpture’s three larger 1. Damage assessment immediately after the sections, fragments of different sizes had to be accident. Due to th composition e sculpture’s remapped, glued from the reverse, and – depending on consisting of an outer monochrome-coloured