Städel Museum, Frankfurt

Project report 2

Invisible protection for the Triumphal Arch of Emperor Maximilian I

The non-reflecting, nearly invisible special glass SCHOTT AMIRAN® provides an undisturbed view of Albrecht Dürer’s wood prints, even with extreme differences in brightness

The background The challenge It is uncontested. With the Triumphal For Emperor Maximilian I, the Triumphal The Städel Museum had to fulfill two Arch of Holy Maximilian I, Arch was the most important commis- requirements when exhibiting the painter and graphic artist Albrecht sion he ever awarded. The masterpiece masterpiece. First, it needed to ensure Dürer created the largest wood print of (completed in 1518) consists of 195 that the wood print was protected his time; and one could say this is true wood blocks. They were printed on 36 against vandalism. For that reason, the is two ways. First, the work measures major folio sheets. For a Dürer exhibi- protective glass covering had to be an impressive 3.5 meters (137, 8”). tion at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt/ extremely stable and scratch-proof. Secondly, Dürer’s rendering of the Main, the wood print, on loan from the Secondly, the glass had to provide the Triumphal Arch serves as a monument to Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum in art enthusiast an unimpeded view of the Emperor as a glorious commander. It , was presented behind the work. To ensure this, a color-neutral is an exaggerated representation of the dual-sided non-reflecting glass. safety glass was sought that can be , which is expressed, used in all lighting conditions and pro- among other things, in the ancient tri- duces little reflection. It also had to be umphal arches and external towers. available in various sizes and shapes from a work perspective, in order to allow flexible processing. 3

The solution When glazing the Triumphal Arch of resistant laminated glass with a total Emperor Maximilian I, the glass case thickness of approx. 17.5 mm, consist- builders at the Städel opted for ing of two panes of single-side non- SCHOTT AMIRAN®. This special glass is reflecting AMIRAN® with PVB film absolutely robust and scratch-proof sandwiched between them. The impres- thanks to its high-tech coating. It con- sive total surface of about 11.5 sqm sists of several metal oxide layers, consists of three sections, which are which are applied by a sol gel dip coat- each 3.75 meters (147,6”) in height. ing process developed by SCHOTT. Smaller works in the Dürer exhibition The high-tech coating is chemically and were also placed behind glass made by THE MATERIALS mechanically more stable than vapor SCHOTT. The MIROGARD® protect deposited layers, for instance. Another used is a non-reflecting, fully transpar- benefit of this unusual interference ent glass, which is ideally suited for • AMIRAN ® coating is that it reduces disturbing paintings. MIROGARD® protect reduces Dimensions 3.1 x 3.75 m reflections to one per cent and allows reflections in the visible range to less (122.0” x 147.6”) 98 per cent of light to pass through it. than one per cent and is color-neutral. • MIROGARD® protect The glass is therefore nearly invisible, Like SCHOTT AMIRAN®, it is dip coated color-neutral and perfectly suited to in a sol gel process. Several titanium extreme differences in brightness. This dioxide and silicon dioxide layers are is a very important criterion for glass applied one by one in nanometer cabinets because there are major light precision and then burnt in. The result: differences in front of and behind the a non-reflecting high-tech picture glass. In order to fulfil the security framing glass with an extremely stable aspect, the glass cabinet builders used surface and top UV protection. Overall, SCHOTT AMIRAN® as high penetration- 16 panes were used. SCHOTT North America, Inc. 5530 Shepherdsville Road Louisville, KY 40228 USA Phone +1 (502) 657-4417 [email protected] www.us.schott.com/amiran

PFLY_0012_OM ENGLISH/US 06/2020 kn/odd Printed in Germany