The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-08-18
A$40,000 PICTURE SAVED
TRANSFERRED FROM A CRACK
ING PANEL TO CANVAS.

tN1 PANEL ~ CANVASS
The Face of the Secretary of States
Botticelii Madonna Embedded in Tis-
sue Paper and the Inch Thick Wood
en- Back Sandpapered Off-The Lay
er of Paint Then Transferred Unin-
iured to Canvas.
A Botticell Madonna" said to be
worth $4,000, but not for sale at any
price, has been saved to Mr.. Hay, the
secretary Of state, by resort to a
delicate operation that required per-
sistent work and the most scrupulous
care and watchfulnesS for year,
writes the Washington correspondent
ing belonging to Mr.. Hay, less valu-
able, perhaps, only in that some doubt
has been expressed by experts as to
whether it was the work OF Botticelli
or his famous master, Fra Lippo Llppl,
the Carmelite, has been saved also
through similar efforts. II the cost OF
this work were added to the worth OF
the two paintings their value would
be increased greatly.
Sandro Botticelli, the Florentine
painter, died very early in the six
teenth century, SO that the $4,000
work which MIR. Hay possesses is at
least 400 years old. Lippo Lppi died
in 146S. Both works are panels, and
it was through the cracking or the
wood, due partly to age and partly TO
the effects of the extremely variable
climate Of this part OF the country,
that the destruction of these magnifi-
cent products of art, each worth
princes ransom, was threatened.
The panel known to be Botticelli
original is Madonna in profile. the
figure full length, surrounded by host
of cherubims This was favorlte
study of Botticelli, and Mr.. Hays gem
has all the color which made the Flor
entine master stand alone among his
competitors. The panel hung Tor
years upon the wall of the main stair
way in Mr.. Hays Washington resi-
dence, facing the spacious entrance
hall.
The other panel, a smaller Madonna,
developed cracks from the reverse side
that threatened to increase and In time
break through the painting itself, thus
destroying its beauty and making 1t,
from the standpoint OF art, at least,
q total loss. Slight cracks were OBJ
served, also, in the larger painting,
and Mr.. Hay, after careful inquiry, re-
solved, in the hope OF saving both mas
terpieces, to resort to the delicate oper-
alton necessary to insure preservation,
which he had been Informed could be
done by man in New York.
Mr. Hay made arrangements with
the New Yorker to undertake the
work, but before it was begun the
artist died, and Mr.. Hay was Obliged
to look elsewhere for a person ac-
Quainted with the process, which had
been originated in Europe and success
fully applied to the preservation OF
panel paintings of some of the old mas
tiers. He ultimately found the right
man, whose studio was also in New
York, and to him was intrusted the
work.
AS the smaller panel was in
greater state of deterioration, one OF
the cracks having in fact extended ell
the way through from back to front,
until the painting itself was effected,
the workman began his delicate COM
mission on it first and, meeting with
success, started upon the larger and
more valuable subject. The object Of
the operator was completely to sepa-
rate the painting proper, that is the
paint itself, from the wood upon which
it had been placed 400 years ago, with
out in any way injuriDg or permitting
it to be scratched, rubbed, cracked
or bent.
To shave off the paint without injur-
ing the picture was manifestly impos-
sible, for the thin sheet Of pigment
would have broken of it's own weight
if once lifted from the backing. Ii was,
therefore, necessary to attack the back
ing itself, wording from the reverse
side downward through the wood until
the undercoating Of the paint was
reached. How this was done is an in
teresting story.
Over the painted surface were placed
hundreds Of tiny slips Of the thinnest
tissue paper, these being held to the
paint by watery paste with just
enough adhesive power to make the
tissue stick. The slips Of the first
layer of tissue were pressed down and
worked so as to conform correctly
to what may be called the paint
wrinkles, for BCtticelli knew the ar:
of making his pigment stand oat IL
relief ridges to accentuate certaiA
lines. More slips Of paper, hundreds
of them, were pasted over the first
layer, and the fingers and thumbs OF
the operator nodded them into and
over the reliefs and the depressions
which the foundation slips had fol-
lowed. Then more Slips, then larger
sheets of the tissue, great thickness
of them, each carefully placed, pasted
and worked over. This done, the panel