During the European Year of Cultural Heritage, Croatian Conservation Institute presents the results of several conservation projects on the art inventory (two crucifixes, “golden” cope, and a painting by N. Grassi) from the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Krk.
Supervisors: Miroslav Pavličić, Pavao Lerotić, Ana Dumbović, and Suzana Kallay
The protection and restoration of the art inventory from the Krk Cathedral was carried out continuously for the last ten years in several restoration workshops of the Croatian Conservation Institute.
The rich collection of liturgical vestments of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Krk dates from the 15th to the 19th century. A large part of the collection is in excellent condition, consisting of several items from the 15th and 16th century, and around fifteen objects from the 17th century. Around thirty items date back to the 18th century, while a considerable number is from the 19th century. One of the oldest objects in the collection is the “golden” cope (so called drappo d’oro) of Italian origin from the late 15th or early 16th century, which is, according to our knowledge, the only such preserved cope in the Diocese of Krk. It was made out of expensive lampas with golden threads on a red silk base. The base forms contour lines in the shape of large stylized floral motifs in the front. The hood of the cope is attached with three ornamental buttons, while the lining was made out of dark red silk taffeta. The main fabric of the cope is severely damaged and full of broken threads. The most severe damage is around the neck, on the clasps, and around the edges. The lining is torn in several places and some of the damage was repaired by inappropriate historical interventions. The start of conservation and restoration involves art historical and technological analysis of fabrics, laboratory analysis of fibres and metal threads, separating the different parts of the item, dry and wet cleaning, and the beginning of closing the damage.
The crucifix from the Church of St. Quirinus in Krk dates to the middle of the second half of the 14th century. Based on its form, it is closely related to the important corpus of crucifixes from Piran, Split, and Kotor which, according to J. Belamarić, reflect the “universal worship of Christ’s wounds”. Such crucifixes were particularly popular during the 13th and 14th century. The naturalism of Christ’s suffering is highlighted with expressive depiction of wounds with relief lines of blood and noticeable folds of torn flesh. Crucifixes from this group are considered to be works by a Venetian sculptor, active in our region.
Photo album
The Renaissance crucifix by an unknown Venetian master from the Krk Cathedral collection is part of a small group of animated crucifixes recorded in our region that originate from medieval crucifixes used during the three-day Easter liturgies. This carved, polychromed crucifix, made in the first half of the 16th century, is an interesting type with moveable shoulder joints that could be used in the altar liturgy by mounting it on a cross, but it could have also been used as the representation of Christ’s body during the laying of the body in the grave.
Painting Annunciation with Saints by Nicola Grassi (1682 – 1748) suffered a radical historical intervention to its physical integrity. Once a single canvas, it was cut into three separate paintings, and exhibited in the collection of the Cathedral Treasury in Krk. The cutting of the fragments followed the contours of the original composition, and separated pieces were presented as standalone paintings. As time passed, the date and the reasons for this intervention were forgotten, and the paintings were interpreted by art historians as the Grassi series.
Intentional damage and resizing puts the painting in the wider context with numerous similar examples of the devastation of European painting heritage. Whether painted on wood or canvas, these works suffered considerable, even barbaric changes because of profit or new functions.
It is an exceptionally rare and fortuitous circumstance that parts of the Grassi painting Annunciation with Saints from Krk remained preserved in the same collection. Because of that, it was possible to undertake conservation and restoration to reconnect the three pieces into the original composition. The irreparable damage done by the inappropriate treatment of the painting was concealed by combining the fragments and presenting this important work of Venetian Rococo painting in its original size and composition. The restored painting is now exhibited in the Collection of the Krk Cathedral.