Surfaces of antique marble sculptures in the Uffizi Gallery: Reflection of history and image

Abstract

The Uffizi Gallery owns an extraordinary collection of Roman marble sculptures which are important for the histories of both antique and collectors’ taste. A variety of statuaries, busts, sarcophagi and reliefs, and all parts of the antiquarian collection of the Medici family were restored by famous artists between the 16th and 19th century. Many of these sculptures have been recently restored again. The artworks housed within the museum have been always considered to be protected from physical and chemical degradation, however, from the point of view of conservation, the treatment approach is extremely complex. The surface layer is often the result of a variety of treatments, such as repolishing, addition of ‘tasselli’ (i.e. different stone insertions) and other marble elements. Artificial patination treatments consisting of coloured wax and oil have also been applied at different time throughout the history with the intention of chromatically harmonising the antique parts with the modern additions. Often museum specialists, who are sensitive towards conservation problems concerning outdoor sculptures, have minimised the problems regarding indoor sculptures exposed to thermal variation, dust and pollution deposited on the surfaces from hundreds of daily visitors to the gallery. The surface, considered here image and reflection of the history of each sculpture, is investigated from a morphological point of view, with particular attention to the original tool marks, remains of the original deposition in earth and various types of surface films from ancient and/or recent treatments and applied substances. The aim of the present study is to analyse the geological, chemical and physical compositions of these layers, and to reconstruct the causes of the distributions of these substances on different kinds of sculpted surfaces. If possible, we attempt to reconstruct, at least in part, the archaeological and historical events on each sculpture. The present study evaluates the conservation treatments carried out on several important sculptures through the study of surface stratifications in different categories of marble sculptures (i.e. sarcophagi, statues, etc.).