Secco

I am searching some information about techniques of fresco secco
paintings in Central Europe which were used around 1770 (anything
about pigments, binders, types of plaster or methods how the scatch
was transferred on the wall). I do my diploma work on the mural
painting by Josef Kramolin in the Municipal House on the Lesser Town
Square in Prague.


    **** Moderator's comments: Not having heard the term "scatch"
    and suspecting an error in translation, I wrote to Ms. Pekarkova
    for clarifying who sent the following note (and indeed, I think
    she refers to what in English would be called a cartoon):


        By the word scatch a mean that the picture that is (was)
        drawn on the paper, as a draft, an idea, what to be on the
        wall later. Then this picture has to be transferred from the
        paper form on to the wall. My question concerns the methods
        how the picture is transferred from the paper to the wall.

        The methods of transfer are for instance:

        *   the picture on the paper is smaller than the final
            picture on the wall. Then a graphic net has to be
            produced. This net is on the little picture (on the
            paper) as well as on the wall. The net is essential for
            getting the small picture onto a large wall. It helps
            the artist to keep to the original design.

        *   the picture on the paper is the same size as the future
            one on the wall. Then little holes are made into the
            lines in the picture. Then the paper is attached to the
            wall and the graphite is pushed through these holes onto
            the wall.

        *   the picture on the paper is the same size as the picture
            on the wall. Then it is attached to the wet plaster and
            then the picture is carved--by pressing through the
            paper--on the plaster.

There are many other methods of this transfer, that different
painters used to use in different times. My interest is in methods
used in Central Europe around 1770.

Josefina Pekarkova
Institut of restauration and conservations techniques
Jiraskova 3, Litomysl, 570 01, Czech republic


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:5
                  Distributed: Tuesday, June 24, 2003
                        Message Id: cdl-17-5-009
                                  ***