August 28, 2016 (full size gallery)
Roy Carter and Don Lee who are professional art installers brought back our 4 tablets today, Sept 1, thereby uniting all 5 parts of the altarpiece. They had been taken out on April 22 starting the active phase of the altarpiece renovation involving all 5 parts.
Cleo Mullins, the conservator of the tablets, had a challenge. She wrote in early July – "What I am finding on the tablets is (from top to bottom) —
1. A crosslinked layer of damar-like varnish, probably with drying oil added. This layer has a very thin layer of airborne grime on it.
2. A substantial layer of black grime.
3. A very tough oil varnish, which is somewhat cloudy and a light dirty tan in color.
4. A blackened crusty layer of sooty grime. This could well be your fire damage as it is very difficult to remove it evenly from the blue paint beneath it."
You can see tablet #4 (left to right) toward the beginning of the tablet restoration in early July 2016.
Here is the restored tablet #3, the Lord’s Prayer being installed.
Thanks to Eunice and Jim Heimbach for the pictures.
