The painting Mary, Mother-to-Be (Marija nosečnica) by Fortunat Bergant, owned by the
Franciscan Monastery in Nazarje, was included in the exhibition Fortunat Bergant (1721–
1769) in the National Gallery of Slovenia, Ljubljana (11.3. – 13.6.2021), together with its
frame.
The examination of the frame, together with its shape and the gilding technology used, lets us
assume that the frame is most likely original.
The diploma thesis is divided into three main parts. The first part talks about frames – about
their role and meaning and about the types determined by the location of the picture frame
and the picture motif. Presented are the framemakers and the surface finishing with a
description of gilding techniques.
The second part includes the description of the work of art, presumably its original
construction, the ground layer and of the polychromy and the condition report of the frame
before the conservation-restoration treatment. Subsequent layers of polychromy are also
described.
In the third part, the conservation-restoration procedures are placed first in the theoretical
framework, followed by a description of the practical implementation. The procedures
included the surface cleaning, the making and attachment of the missing part of the
decoration, the readhering of the components and consolidation of surface layers. Prior to the
selection of materials used to fill the ground layer losses, we tested various types of binders.
Description of the filling and retouching of the paint layer losses follows.
The work concludes with a reflection on possible future conservation-restoration treatments.
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