I materiali e la tecnica pittorica di Giulio Aristide sartorio nel ciclo “Il poema della vita umana” (1906-07): conoscenza e prevenzione per un progetto di musealizzazione

Abstract

In 1906 Giulio Aristide Sartorio created the pictorial cycle “The Poem of Human Life" for the Central Hall of the Venice Biennale. To complete the cycle (over 240 m2) in just nine months, he used a special painting technique: “a mixture of wax, mineral turpentine and oils”.This cycle has had a complicated history of conservation. A project involving conservation and maintenance is needed to access Sartorio’s paintings. The first step in the conservation project involves the study of the entire cycle to identify the materials and the painting techniques adopted by the artist and to understand the degradation processes present on the paintings. This knowledge makes it possible to suggest some general guidelines for the correct presentation of the cycle for public viewing in a museum. A priority is the prevention of future degradation processes, usually due to exhibition conditions themselves, including excessive exhibition stress. This research shows that any museum display project must consider the specific technical and material characteristics of the artworks prior to their exhibition.

Keywords

• Giulio Aristide Sartorio, Ca’ Pesaro, Venezia, tecnica dell’encausto, oli siccativi, cera d’api, crettature, bianco di piombo, bianco di zinco