The retable of the chapel of Our Lady of Mercy in the cloister of Oporto’s Cathedral: study, conservation and restoration

  • Ana Patrícia Tonel Monteiro CITAR-UCP
  • Carolina Barata CITAR/EA-UCP
  • José Carlos Frade CITAR/EA-UCP
  • António Candeias Universidade de Évora/Laboratorio HERCULES
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37558/gec.v12i0.533
Palabras clave: retable, Oporto’s cathedral, 17th century, gilded and painted woodcarving, conservation and restoration

Resumen

The retable located in the Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy, in the cloisters of Oporto’s cathedral, dates back to the 17th century. Artistically, it belongs to a transition period between the Mannerism and the Baroque styles. The artistic value and the lack of documented information about the artwork led to the development of a project contemplating its the study. Both chemical and physical analyses - observation of the support, micro-FTIR and SEM-EDS - suggest that the retable was carved in sweet chestnut wood, accordingly to the techniques used at the time. The retable presents water-gilded areas contrasting with blue and red phytomorphic motifs. The polychromed areas were later covered with lead white paint. There were also evidences of previous conservation-restoration interventions. The frail condition of the retable’s materials testified the need to conserve and restore it. Among other procedures, the materials were consolidated and the lacunae were filled and inpainted - partially regenerating the artwork’s aesthetic unity.

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Biografía del autor/a

Ana Patrícia Tonel Monteiro, CITAR-UCP

Patrícia Monteiro is conservator-restorer with a bachelor degree in Art, Conservation and Restoration, and an MA in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, both from Universidade Católica Portuguesa. She made her specialisation in wood carving sculptures. Her MA’s thesis was a study on the retable of Our Lady of Mercy (Oporto’s
Cathedral, Portugal) of the 17th century.

Carolina Barata, CITAR/EA-UCP

Carolina Barata holds a degree in Conservation and Restoration, a post-graduation in Art Expertise, a Master’s degree in Applied Chemistry and a PhD in Geosciences. She started her professional activity in 1996 having joined several working teams in the field of Easel Painting, wooden Sculpture and Photography collections Conservation. Since 2005 she joined the School of Arts of the Portuguese Catholic University (EA/UCP) as a lecturer and a researcher. Since 2016 she coordinates the Master’s Degree in Conservation and Restoration in the same School. She is a member of the Research Centre for Science and Technology of the Arts (CITAR) at EA/UCP and of the Research Centre of Geobiosciences, Geotechnologies and Geoengineering (GeoBioTec) of the University of Aveiro.

José Carlos Frade, CITAR/EA-UCP

José Carlos Frade holds a degree in Chemistry, a Master in Analytical Chemistry, and a PhD in Forestry and Natural Resources. From 2004 until 2012, worked as a chemist at the Laboratório José de Figueiredo of the Direcção-Geral do Património Cultural, and since 2012 he is professor at the School of Arts of the Portuguese Catholic University - UCP - and member of the Research Centre for Science and Technology of the Arts – CITAR | UCP. He conducts research in the field of Conservation Science, has particular interest in the study and analysis of organic materials from cultural heritage objects, and along his professional activity has specialized in areas of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and pyrolysis - gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (Py-GCMS).

António Candeias, Universidade de Évora/Laboratorio HERCULES

António José Candeias holds a degree in Chemistry, a Master in Applied Chemistry and a PhD in Chemistry. He is professor at Évora University and director of HERCULES Laboratory - Herança Cultural, Estudos e Salvaguarda, Universidade de Évora - where he conducts research in the field of Conservation Science, in the areas of x-ray analysis and electron microscopy (XRD, SEM-EDX, EDXRF). He also is the scientific adviser of the Laboratório José de Figueiredo of the Direcção-Geral do Património Cultural.

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Publicado
2017-12-16
Cómo citar
Tonel Monteiro, A. P., Barata, C., Frade, J. C., & Candeias, A. (2017). The retable of the chapel of Our Lady of Mercy in the cloister of Oporto’s Cathedral: study, conservation and restoration. Ge-Conservacion, 12, 137-149. https://doi.org/10.37558/gec.v12i0.533
Número
Vol. 12 (2017): Ge-conservación Nº 12
Sección
Suplemento
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