AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

A 17th-century diorama with wax figures titled St. Jerome in the Desert provided a unique opportunity for technical study and conservation treatment at the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies at the Harvard Art Museums. A skillfully executed example of a rarely encountered art form from this period, the diorama captures many facets of religious life in 17th-century Italy as a devotional object with overtones of memento mori. As is the case for many wax objects dating from this period, the diorama blurs the lines between religious object, work of fine art, and anatomical model. The artist, Caterina de Julianis, was a Neapolitan nun whose legacy has been overshadowed by that of her male teacher in art historical scholarship; few firmly attributed examples of her work exist in public collections. The goal of the project was therefore to add to the body of knowledge about this artist’s working methods and materials and to shine a light on a lesser-known female artist, as well as to prepare the object for eventual display. The diorama is composed of a wooden frame built around an interior box enclosed behind glass, which contains pigmented beeswax figures and scenery, glass, an oil painting on copper, and plant fiber elements. Careful consideration was made in the decision to open the enclosed diorama to accurately assess its condition and facilitate instrumental analysis. This investigation characterized the artist’s materials and techniques but also revealed the presence of old and unstable restoration materials, many of which were obscuring original surfaces. The specific locations of these materials indicated that the previous restoration campaign involved a near-complete disassembly and reassembly. Treatment involved surface cleaning, partial disassembly, removal of old restoration materials, consolidation, and aesthetic compensation. Although the treatment necessitated a degree of compromise due to changes made during the previous restoration campaign, it ultimately resulted in stabilization and improved legibility of the composition.