The course aims to provide basic tools for the study and knowledge of art artefacts executed on a wooden support (polychrome wooden sculpture, paintings on wood and related gilding techniques) and to acquire the ability to recognise the materials and techniques used. 
The practical lessons allow students to acquire the manual dexterity to carry out gilding and its decoration techniques, as well as to deepen their knowledge of the materials used and their behaviour.
This knowledge will allow, in the future, to carry out deterioration analysis, understand the state of conservation and plan any restoration work on the works.

The course consists of theoretical lectures and practical lessons.

1. The theoretical lessons (25 hours) focus on the following topics 
      
introduction to artistic techniques and sources of art literature

study of the materials of works of art: colours (pigments and dyes), binders, varnishes and protective agents, supports, wood and preparations. The characteristics and methodology of use are analysed

Study of the main techniques for making wooden artefacts: polychrome sculpture and painted panels. Study of gilding techniques. The materials used, the methods of realisation and the aesthetic rendering are analysed.

2. The practical exercise lessons (100 hours) develop the same topics and involve

the creation of models on tablets using the different techniques, following the methodologies specific to each technique. The materials, supports and preparatory layers are prepared according to ancient recipes

Each section can be attended having followed the previous one with at least 75% attendance and in the following order:

Section 1.1

Section 1.2

Section 1.3

Section 1.4

D1

Upon completion of the First Year Laboratory Course, the Student shall have acquired all those theoretical knowledge essential to:

- recognition of the materials and execution techniques of an artifact on a wooden support (paintings, sculptures, furniture and various artifacts);

- recognition of the causes of degradation of the wooden support and the layers above it;

- identification of techniques and materials for support consolidation and restoration operations, and fixation and consolidation of pictorial layers.

D2

Upon completion of the First-Year Laboratory Course, the Student must demonstrate the ability to :

- recognize the quality of wood species: homoxyl wood and heteroxyl wood (also in collaboration with other Courses);

- recognize the techniques of making supports (assemblage, construction, carving);

- recognize the different decorative techniques and the materials used to make them;

- identify the causes of degradation of the wooden artifact;

- identify the methodology and materials to be used for intervention on both the support and the overlying layers.

D3

Upon completion of the First Year Laboratory Course, the Student will have acquired:

- ability to use research methodologies appropriate to the problems to be addressed

- ability to know how to evaluate different working hypotheses to address different intervention cases.

D4

At the end of the First Year Laboratory Course the Student should be able to:

- formulate and argue a conservation intervention project on the support and on the preparatory and pictorial layers of the wooden artifact.

D5

At the end of the First-Year Laboratory Course the Student should be able to:

- independently find and organize all scientific and bibliographical information related to the materials and execution techniques of a wooden artifact.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching materials prepared by the lecturer(s) in addition to the recommended texts (such as slides, handouts, exercises, bibliography) and lecturer's communications specific to the teaching are available within the Moodle platform ' blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Lectures and exercises-practical and laboratory.

Attendance

Attendance at restoration laboratory activities is compulsory; absences are allowed for no more than 25 percent of the total number of hours related to the Laboratory attended and no more than 25 percent of the total number of hours of each individual section of the relevant laboratory. A record of attendance is provided. Attendance in the Restoration Laboratories is subject to the acquisition of certificates related to the Safety courses as indicated in the Restoration Laboratories Regulations.

Course books

F. NEGRI ARNOLDI, Il mestiere dell'arte. Introduzione alla storia delle tecniche artistiche, Napoli, Paparo ed., 2001

S. RINALDI, Storia tecnica dell’arte. Materiali e metodi della pittura e della scultura (sec. V-XIX), Roma, Carocci, 2011, pag.109-161, pag.257-269

FABRIZIO CRIVELLO, Arti e tecniche del Medioevo, Piccola Biblioteca Einaidi, Torino, 2006, pag. 255-271, pag.300-312

TOSATTI, S.B., Trattati medievali di tecniche artistiche, Milano, 2007

CENNINO CENNINI, Il libro dell’arte, a cura di Fabio Frezzato, Vicenza, Neri Pozza, 2003

 

C. MALTESE, (a cura di), Le tecniche artistiche, ed. Mursia, Milano 1983

C. MALTESE, (a cura di), I supporti nelle arti pittoriche, ed. Mursia, Milano 1980

C. MALTESE, (a cura di), Preparazione e finitura nelle opere pittoriche, Milano, Mursia, 1993

SERGIO PAOLO DIODATO, I buoni colori di una volta, Ed. Menabò, Ortona, 2012

A.A.V.V. La fabbrica dei colori, pigmenti e coloranti nella pittura e nella tintoria, Roma, 198

FRANCESCA TONINI, La scultura lignea. Tecniche e restauro. Il Prato, 2015

ANNA MARIA SPIAZZI LUCA MAJOLI, La scultura lignea. Tecniche esecutive, conservazione e restauro, Silvana Editoriale, 200

”Dorature e policromie delle parti architettoniche nelle tavole d'altare toscane fra Trecento e Quattrocento” Kermes 26, Nardini, anno IX, Maggio/Agosto 1996

“Sulla tecnica di doratura dei manufatti lignei: la cornice monumentale della pala di Agnolo Bronzino raffigurante la discesa del Cristo al Limbo (1552)”, OPD Restauro, Centro Di, 2007, vol. 19

C.MALTESE, Tecniche di costruzione e metodi di trattamento dei supporti lignei, tratto da “ I supporti nelle arti pittoriche” a cura di Corrado Maltese, Mursia, 1990

CIRO CASTELLI, Tecniche di costruzione dei supporti lignei dipinti, in “Dipinti su tavola”, Edifir, 2007

Tecniche della pittura antica: le preparazioni del supporto, Kermes 4, Nardini, Anno II, Gennaio/Aprile 1998

Tecniche pittoriche del XIII secolo: il Dossale di Meliore di Jacopo in San Leonino a Panzano, OPD Restauro, Centro Di, 1990, vol. 2

La pittura a Pisa nel Duecento: osservazioni sulla tecnica artistica, OPD Restauro, Centro Di, 2005, vol. 17

Assessment

1. Examination test in oral form on the topics covered in the lectures to assess the student's communication skills.

2. Practical exercise: execution on a model of a structural restoration technique/execution technique to be carried out in a maximum of 4h, in order to assess the students' practical skills.

After attending at least 75% of each individual laboratory section, the student will be allowed to take the relevant partial examination during the official examination sessions.

The individual section grade is made up as follows:
50% of the section grade is given by the evaluation of the practical work done in the laboratory;
25% of the section grade is given by the evaluation of the oral examination;
25% of the section grade is given by the evaluation of the practical exercise.

The evaluation criteria in thirtieths are:

- from 18 to 23: sufficient understanding of the topics covered; use of terminology and technical language in a basic form; partial reference to the sources and texts indicated; sufficient manual and practical skill; sufficient attention and willingness to study the topics proposed during the course in depth;

- from 24 to 27: good understanding of the topics dealt with; use of terminology and technical language in an articulate form; good level of reference to the sources and texts indicated; good manual and practical ability; good attention and willingness to go into the topics proposed during the course in greater depth;

- from 28 to 30: excellent understanding of the topics covered; use of terminology and technical language in an articulate and appropriate form; excellent level of reference to the sources and texts indicated with predisposition to personal research; excellent manual and practical ability and autonomy in work; excellent attention and willingness to go into the topics proposed during the course in greater depth

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.