The Folger Shakespear Library Conservation Department had under its care a painting that required treatment. Extensively assist by the use of boom stand microscope with vide the objective of the examination was the conservation of the painting on vellum and to find a suitable method of treatment, attain the best results and documenting the procedure completely. The boom stand microscope with video was essential in each stage of examination. This study shows an illustration between technology and conservation.

The painting was obtained by Henry Clay Folger a watercolor and gouch painting. The subject of the painting is the Rape of Lucrece, which was base on the poem of Shakespear entitled “The Rape of Lucrece” although more appropriately  to be titled “The Death of Lucrece” because the painting describe Lucrece in her bedchamber after she has been raped, on the point of committing suicide. The painting is beautifully designed and the details of the interior expressed in a lucidity of realism.

Micro-optics who designed the Folger Conservation Department boom stand microscope with video-microscopy system which is an integrated a Meijing stereo microscope furnished with a universal boom stand with tilting mount and a Sony Trinitron high resolution closed-circuit TV system. The microscope has a fiber optic light source composed in a separate transform unit that permits the light intensity to be adjusted. The magnification range of a system is x7 to x 45 through the eyepiece and the monitor magnifies the image approximately x10 more.

Before the primary examination, the painting has been hanging in a climate-controlled environment and exposed to artificial light from fluorescent tubes. The vellum was found out on primary examination that some area was detached from the oak board and some cracks and fissure across the entire surface of the painting, and in some parts of the painting are damaged.

With the aid of boom stand microscope with a video scope system, the area can be seen clearly in detail. The layers of pigment showed that the paint had lifted more in areas where it was thicken. The color is more assailable than others.

Because of the boom stand microscope video this was the first time the painting was restored in detailed. Since the painting has been in the Folger Collection no restoration has been done. It was also during this stage of examination that artist’s technique was revealed.

The Artist used red pigment for preparatory sketches. The sketches were drawn with a diluted ink or pigment. It is not prone to detachment the ink applied thinly in the vellum and thicker applications tend to sit on the vellum surface.

Under the boom stand microscope, slides were viewed with a pigment sample. The pigment is a yellow ochre, lead white, madder lake and smalt.

The first stage of treatment is the consolidation of image with the use of gelatin. Second is the compensation of image, it is required to determine how to proceed with inpainting of the consolidation. The tools use in viewing in the consolidation process between conservation and curators was the boom stand microscope video system. The third stage is the Documentation. The alteration of the present object must be well documented and every detailed altered should be noted. The documentation is in the form of photographs or slide but with the use of boom stand microscope video system it can be used to record video images which shows detailed, step-by-step procedures of consolidation aid inpainting. Read more