Restoring
Saint George Crivelli's
Underdrawing Tricking the Eye
with Pastiglia Painting with
Tempera Silver and Gold
Leaf
Saint George Crivelli's
Underdrawing Tricking the Eye
with Pastiglia Painting with
Tempera Silver and Gold
Leaf
Move the slider to reveal Crivelli's underdrawing
If you look closely at the horse's teeth, you can see the dark lines of Crivelli's underdrawing. They do not line up with the painted surface, indicating that Crivelli changed his mind about the placement of the teeth between the drawing and painting stages.
Before beginning his restoration, chief conservator Gianfranco Pocobene studied the painting in detail. This analysis revealed insights into Crivelli's techniques and helped him to prepare for the treatment. One technique, infrared reflectography (IRR), allows us to see traces of Crivelli's preparatory drawing beneath the paint.
Conservator Gianfranco Pocobene on the underdrawing (transcript)