AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Do you know [of] a Spanish primitive that was more or less ruined? Is it of any use to you as study piece? Can it be saved?

With these words John Coolidge, the former director of what is today the Harvard Art Museums (H/AM), reflected in 1949 on the so-called “Cardona Altarpiece”, an extraordinary 14th century panel painting attributed to Arnau Bassa (1348). This “Nativity with Saints” represents one of the finest known examples of gothic workshops in Barcelona and was dismissed for decades at H/AM due the complex condition issues of the support and paint layers. In 2022, as part of a broader program focused on the recuperation of the overlooked legacy of Spanish paintings at H/AM, the Cardona Altarpiece was chosen not only to recuperate a never-exhibited masterpiece, but also make a broader contribution to the Museum’s mission through research, teaching, and dissemination. Initially thought to require routine treatment, the need for extensive structural conservation and integration of irreversible conservation campaigns was eventually revealed. This paper delves into the journey of managing such unforeseen challenges.

The Cardona Altarpiece tells us a story of displacement, disassembly, and reintegration. This work is a fragment of a much larger altarpiece now dispersed between Spain (National Museum of Catalonia) and the United States (H/AM). During examination, it became apparent that not only had the work been separated from the rest of the altarpiece and cut down but was a pastiche of various original elements reassembled to look like an integral painting for the art market. In its current form the fragment appears to be a full altarpiece, including a central panel featuring a banco with three roundels and two flanking side pinnacles. A comparative study with the other part in Barcelona revealed that the pinnacles had been raised, roundels had been nailed to the painting's lower portion, and lower passages of the side pinnacles were transferred to new wood supports (by means of the strappo technique). This new structure was held by a heavy dense mahogany cradle.

The rich journey of this fragment is further intertwined with at least two significant interventions during the 20th century. Archival documents from the 1920’s found in the Berenson archives (I Tatti) as well as scientific evidence gathered during the treatment, provided valuable insights into the painting's previous appearance around the time it was being considered for the American market. The dilemma regarding whether to preserve the previous overpaints or reveal what is left of the original remains on the table.

Effectively navigating these unforeseen challenges demanded a collaborative strategy, engaging the expertise of specialists from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Museum of Catalonia, Harvard's Art History department. The ongoing intervention requires careful consideration of time, authenticity, and memory as fundamental elements of the restoration process. It requires a technical art history-oriented display that clearly conveys the material history of this fragmented artwork within the context of the museum. This treatment underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and creative problem-solving.