With treatment nearing completion, conservators now devote their time to inpainting losses previously repaired with silk infills in September 2017.
Inpainting, or applying colors on the infills so they better blend into their surroundings, is carried out so that the viewer can appreciate the overall image without the eye being drawn to distracting losses or infills. The goal is not to match the inpainting perfectly to its surroundings, but only to lessen the impact of losses that disrupt the image. As outlined in the Venice Charter, the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, adopted in 1964, 鈥渢he process of restoration is a highly specialized operation. Its aim is to preserve and reveal the aesthetic and historic value of the monument and is based on respect for original material and authentic documents. It must stop at the point where conjecture begins, and in this case moreover any extra work which is indispensable must be distinct from the architectural composition and must bear a contemporary stamp鈥 (art. 9).
With this guideline in mind, conservators inpaint only until the infill appears to blend in with its surroundings from three feet away, the standard viewing distance. Upon closer examination, the color on the infills is slightly lighter and therefore easily distinguishable from the original artwork. In addition, if there is loss in a painted line or outline, conservators usually do not inpaint to connect the lines, unless there is ample evidence of the missing composition in historical records or photographs.
The materials used for inpainting are Japanese colorant sticks in three basic colors (yellow, blue and red) and black sumi ink. Conservators make the pigment mixtures as simple as possible, so that historians and conservation scientists in the future can easily identify what was used for the repairs and differentiate these colors from the original pigments of the painting. The colorant sticks are ground with water in a small dish, and the pigments mixed to achieve the desired color. Conservators then use fine brushes to apply onto infills. Because the amount of binder (animal glue) in the colorant sticks is very small, these colors can be easily removed and the repairs reversed if needed.
Below left is a detail of the scroll, its losses filled with different tones of aged silk prior to inpainting. At right, the losses are less apparent after inpainting, with infills slightly lighter in color compared to their surroundings. The missing outlines of the label on the scroll, the brush, and the red belt are not drawn in.
With inpainting complete, the full image can be appreciated without the interruption of distracting losses.
The details below clearly illustrate the improvements made during treatment. At top, losses, tears and discolorations are very evident before treatment; at bottom, losses are filled and toned, and discolorations are reduced.
The painting, with its new mounting, is now being flattened and stretch-dried in the gallery. The final steps in the treatment include burnishing the back of the entire scroll; installing the upper stave, bottom dowel and end-knobs; and designing and constructing a preservative clamp.