Sculpture

The wax sculpture represents a cavalry woman, Thérèse Figueur, a female soldier taking part in the napoleonic wars.

This small sculpture represented strong sructural decay because of the corrosion of ist copper armatures.

In order to enable a future exhibition of the sculpture, we decided to proceed in an advanced tratment of the structure by recovering the lost shape of the figurines and by replacing some copper armatures which were strongly corroded and dangerous for the future conservation of the object.

A study of the formation of metal soaps on copper depending on relative humidity was a basis for a preventive conservation plan for the future of the work of art.

The study and treatment of Carpeaux's plaster sculpture gave us a better understanding of the artist's creation process. It turned out that the artist probably continued his formal and stylistic research by using the sketches already produced and reworking them, like this plaster sculpture.

The cracks and chips presented on the sculpture influenced on the stability of the work. The main cause of cracks and chips was due to oxidation of the metal reinforcement.

In order to improve the legibility of the sculpture and its complex history, we decided to clean the surface in a moderate way. The stability of the sculpture was improved by filligs in the cracks which are slightly visible in order to preserve the complex history of this work of art.

The Palmesel sculpture is a rare exemple of an old religious custom. Wooden sculptures were used during the palm procession of the Roman Catholic Church on Palm Sunday one week before Easter.

The conservation and restoration of the sculpture of the Palmesel had the goal of stabilising the strongly degraded wood of the sculpture as well as securing the original paint layer and freeing it from a gray coating.

Our aim was to make the colourful appearance of this rare sculpture tangible again.

The traces of neglect and visually dominant damage were pushed back in order to achieve an aesthetically satisfying overall appearance, but still left slightly visible to ensure the object's evolved authenticity of age.