Our Lady of Piety Oratory: Condition through the Years

Examining Condition

It is evident from a quick glance at the Our Lady of Piety oratory that it is composed of many small, fragile, intricately arranged components. This construction is not durable, the small pieces could easily become detached or broken. The minuscule size of many of the components also makes repair very difficult.

The oratory was acquired by  VMFA from the Coll & Cortés gallery with locations in London and Madrid. Before acquisition or transport to Virginia, the gallery sent a condition report to VMFA. The report described the condition of the piece, but did not mention many large repairs that would have to be done. It stated that the oratory was in “pristine conservation state.” It described some structural alterations, including the strengthening of the base and parts of the arch with a masonite panel (MDF). The only other damage detailed in the condition report was the detachment of a “few amount” of shells. This report was dated January 17^th 2012. In the two months between the report and arrival at the museum, it sustained great damage.

 

 

 

 

On March 21^st, 2012, the oratory arrived at the museum and was unpacked under the supervision of Sheila Payaqui, head of Sculpture and Decorative Arts Conservation at VMFA. Before the box was even opened, the staff realized that the piece might be greatly damaged. This was due to the Tip and Tell sticker that was attached to the box. Tip and Tell stickers have small beads inside them that move when the box is tilted. This alerted the conservators and staff to look for damage inside.

 

 

Photos were taken during the unpacking that highlighted the damage sustained during transport, including the detachment of a metal rib that held the glass together and the shell debris and broken structural fragments that were scattered on the “floor” of the piece.

An examination was done by the conservator. Sheila Payaqui, who outlined all the damage to the piece and recorded more information about its construction. She discovered that the glass was attached to the wood only by tape that was painted gold.

 

Upon examination, it became evident that there used to be at least thirteen of the rays behind the central pietà. Only two remained, but notches in the background and remains of adhesives show where the others would have been.

The obvious damage from transport was the detached metal rib that dangled and left two glass panels with nothing between, making them structurally unsound. One of the spindles of the small fence at the front of the piece was broken off during transport and wedged between the gate post and another spindle. Another element that became detached during the apparently rough transport was the garland that was supposed to span the columns on the right side, which had detached and had become wedged between glass and fence. The structural reinforcements mentioned in the condition report from the gallery did not hold up perfectly through transport. Upon examination, a large crack was found in the base with smaller corresponding cracks on the floor of the object. A large vertical crack was also observed in the panel behind the pietà figures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minor problems with the piece included a layer of grime over the shells, floor, and glass; black tape on the glass as a precautionary measure for transport; and losses to gilding. One of the greatest problems with the piece was the large number of dislodged elements that were scattered on the floor. These pieces were often too small and similar to see exactly where each had come from. This proved to be the most time consuming piece of the conservation as it was a puzzle with no regularity, no assurance that all the pieces were there, and the additional complication of broken pieces.

After the early examination of the piece and evaluation of its conservation needs, the piece was officially bought. Following this, the conservator, Sheila Payaqui, wrote an official condition report and treatment proposal. This report was more based on an in-depth analysis of the oratory, including looking at it under UV lights. This measure revealed areas that had been repaired in the past. Parts that fluoresced differently from the rest could be presumed to have been repaired at some point. One piece that was discovered to be a restoration or replacement after being viewed under UV light was the left “arm” of the top gilded feature. The upper right of the Virgin’s cheek also fluoresced under UV light and therefore had been repaired at some point. This repair was deemed stable by Payaqui and left in place. The deeper understanding of the object provided by the in-depth analysis conducted after the purchase (make sure of this dating) made the outlining of a treatment plan easier and more precise.

 

 

Links to Other Pages

Our Lady of Piety

Brazilian Oratory: Baroque, Rococo, and Local Influences

Brazilian Oratory: Notes on Brazilian History

Our Lady of Piety Oratory: The Influence of European Religion on South America

Our Lady of Piety Oratory: Condition through the Years

Our Lady of Piety Oratory: Conservation

The Story of How the Beetle got its Colors

Interview with Conservator Sheila Payaqui

Brazilian Oratory: Glossary

Our Lady of Piety: Bibliography