Tapybos restauravimas : ieškant sprendimų tarp teorijos ir praktikos

ENArticle raises and tries to find answers to several questions. Firstly, how severely damaged artwork with significant losses should be restored without devaluation. Secondly; how to restore such painting and which restoration method to choose, that traces of restoration would not dominate in it. Thirdly, how to preserve the intangible value of painting to be restored, highlight its specific content, and open up other cultural values of artwork. These questions were particularly relevant when the exhibit of the Šiauliai “Aušros” Museum, painting “Stigmatization of St. Francis”, was being restored. This painting was brought to the Lithuanian Art Museum’s Pranas Gudynas Center for Restoration significantly damaged: without under-frame, with much weakened cloth of the painting’s base, with 30–40 % loss of paint layers and with remaining paint almost detached. Restoration of this artwork had given impetus to debate. To make balanced decision it was necessary to rethink and adapt restoration requirements to the painting in question, while also keeping historical aspects in mind.The artwork was restored by center’s restorer Rūta Kasiulytė. After long considerations and debates, because of very poor condition of the painting and large losses the conservative restoration method was chosen. Article describes restoration process and means used in detail. Previously inaccessible to the public the painting “Stigmatization of St. Francis” after conservative restoration started a new life. Despite poor exterior, this artwork has large potential to open up new experiences and opportunities for future researches of restorers and museum specialists alike. The painting “Stigmatization of St. Francis” is perfectly suited for educational purposes. It can be exhibited to visitors in order to explain the principals of ethics, aesthetics and requirements of restoration science. It also can be good example illustrating the old painting technique. Moreover, the painting is perfectly suited for narratives of iconography and art studies, in terms of birth of the artwork, its age, and even history of museology. [From the publication]