DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62783#0191
EXTRACTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
123
more upon the roof, all of which, being extended from the outer wall
to the wall of the loggia in the courtyard, pulled the wall together,
and prevented any similar mischief for the future.
“ In the second place, a new and wonderful invention was thought
of, for fastening the priming, and re-attaching it to the mortar, so
that it might not fall any more. It consisted in nailing the priming
to the wall, in the same manner as one would fasten to it a silken or
woollen cloth. This being executed, with all necessary patience, by
Sig. Francesco Rossi, who was in part the inventor of the plan, I
think proper to record it here, for public instruction.
“ He used a nail similar in shape, to the capital letter T, such as
is used by printers, with a number of tacks all along the branches;
and sometimes, in order that the upper part of the nail might not
extend over the light parts, or the carnations, he had the branches
shortened, or used a nail of the shape q; with only one branch.
Before putting in the nail, he used to ascertain the place where it
was most required by striking the wall with his hand, and listening
to the sound and echo of the hollow part, and where the colours
were the darkest, he made a hole, with great care, with an auger,
penetrating as far as was necessary to make the fastening strong,
and then filled it up with gesso. Then, choosing a nail, of the length
required by the depth of the hole, he drove it in until the head of it
reached the surface of the priming, in which he made a groove, to
conceal the head, or the lateral branches of the nail. Having done
this, he suffered the priming, which the use of the gesso had wetted
round the nail, to dry, and then painted it over with certain water
colours, in tint exactly resembling what it was before, and corres-
ponding to the parts of the picture which remained ; and these tints,
when dry, agreed so well, that it was not possible to find the slightest
difference in them. This is so true, that Sig. Carlo Maratti has told
me, that several times, when he has been upon the scaffolding, and
examined the work with great attention, he could not find out where
the nail had been placed, and that, in fact, when the artist himself
wished to point it out, he was sometimes mistaken, and did not
know where it was.
“ It is really wonderful, and almost incredible, that there should
have been fixed in that gallery, for the above mentioned purpose,
1300 nails, and 300 more in the cabinets painted by Annibale, and
that no professor whatever, however skilled in these pictures, should
be able to discover the slightest injury, or to point out any mark, or
123
more upon the roof, all of which, being extended from the outer wall
to the wall of the loggia in the courtyard, pulled the wall together,
and prevented any similar mischief for the future.
“ In the second place, a new and wonderful invention was thought
of, for fastening the priming, and re-attaching it to the mortar, so
that it might not fall any more. It consisted in nailing the priming
to the wall, in the same manner as one would fasten to it a silken or
woollen cloth. This being executed, with all necessary patience, by
Sig. Francesco Rossi, who was in part the inventor of the plan, I
think proper to record it here, for public instruction.
“ He used a nail similar in shape, to the capital letter T, such as
is used by printers, with a number of tacks all along the branches;
and sometimes, in order that the upper part of the nail might not
extend over the light parts, or the carnations, he had the branches
shortened, or used a nail of the shape q; with only one branch.
Before putting in the nail, he used to ascertain the place where it
was most required by striking the wall with his hand, and listening
to the sound and echo of the hollow part, and where the colours
were the darkest, he made a hole, with great care, with an auger,
penetrating as far as was necessary to make the fastening strong,
and then filled it up with gesso. Then, choosing a nail, of the length
required by the depth of the hole, he drove it in until the head of it
reached the surface of the priming, in which he made a groove, to
conceal the head, or the lateral branches of the nail. Having done
this, he suffered the priming, which the use of the gesso had wetted
round the nail, to dry, and then painted it over with certain water
colours, in tint exactly resembling what it was before, and corres-
ponding to the parts of the picture which remained ; and these tints,
when dry, agreed so well, that it was not possible to find the slightest
difference in them. This is so true, that Sig. Carlo Maratti has told
me, that several times, when he has been upon the scaffolding, and
examined the work with great attention, he could not find out where
the nail had been placed, and that, in fact, when the artist himself
wished to point it out, he was sometimes mistaken, and did not
know where it was.
“ It is really wonderful, and almost incredible, that there should
have been fixed in that gallery, for the above mentioned purpose,
1300 nails, and 300 more in the cabinets painted by Annibale, and
that no professor whatever, however skilled in these pictures, should
be able to discover the slightest injury, or to point out any mark, or