‘Stamp’ of Approval: The Study and Analysis of Sassoferrato’s Madonna and Child
When Madonna and Child by the Workshop of Sassoferrato (38.7) was selected to be featured on the United States Postal Service’s 2024 season Christmas stamp, the first thought from the conservation team was How exciting! We will get to share one of our paintings with the world! The second thought was, I’ve never seen this work. I wonder what condition it is in?
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Madonna and Child before conservation treatment. Workshop of Sassoferrato Madonna and Child (Italian, 1609–1685), date unknown, oil on canvas, 25-1/8 × 18-13/16 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge, 38.7.
Large museums like the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields have many artworks in their collections and only a small percentage of them can be on display at any one time. Sometimes objects don’t get requested for display for years…even decades…and therefore require a conservator’s attention before going on view. A quick look through the art historical file found that the Madonna and Child was a favorite of the curators and the public in the 1960s and 70s. She was even featured on the cover of The Indianapolis Star Sunday Magazine in December of 1960. However, it had not been on view since 1987, and when the team assessed the work, they discovered she was not quite ready for the spotlight.
A quick trip to the storeroom found the varnish coating on the painting, once clear and saturating, had aged and become darkened and yellow with time. Additionally, there was an old tear in the canvas in both the forehead and hand of the Madonna that had been repaired long ago, but the materials used to restore these areas aged poorly and had become dark and splotchy. For the Postal Service, an earlier image of the work had been ‘virtually’ restored in order to produce the stamp, but there was no easy way to improve the actual painting’s appearance; it would have to undergo a conservation treatment before making it back on the wall at the IMA.
The overall poor condition of the painting had so compromised its appearance that the conservation team wondered if this was even an authentic 17th century painting or a later copy?
Thankfully, as we began the conservation treatment and investigation, the quality of the painting became apparent. Varnish removal tests revealed a beautiful, rich color palette of luscious red and blue robes, subtly pink flesh, and delicately painted hair.
Madonna and Child during the varnish removal showing the impact of the yellow varnish (left), after cleaning before inpainting (center), after conservation treatment (right). Sassoferrato (Italian, 1609–1685), Madonna and Child, oil on canvas, 25-1/8 x 18-13/16 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge, 38.7.
The treatment also presented several educational opportunities. Science lab intern Allie Miller, a chemistry and studio art student at Marian University, supported the treatment of the painting through her analysis of the artist’s materials. Using a scanning elemental spectrometer, she mapped the use of vermilion red in the blouse and lapis lazuli blue in the mantel, both expensive pigments in 17th century Italy. Her use of gas chromatography and infrared spectroscopy identified the yellowed, recalcitrant varnish as a mixture of pine resin and linseed oil, which helped guide its meticulous removal using gelled solvents and eventually an eye surgeon’s scalpel. Allie’s research found that the materials used in the IMA painting were consistent with other works from Sassoferrato’s workshop, thus helping to place the work more firmly in his oeuvre.
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Left: Madonna and Child during examination. Sassoferrato (Italian, 1609–1685), Madonna and Child, oil on canvas, 25-1/8 x 18-13/16 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge, 38.7.
Right: Scanning x-ray fluorescence elemental mapping shows the use of vermilion (mercury, red), ultramarine (potassium, blue), lead white (lead, gray), and umber (manganese, brown). Sassoferrato (Italian, 1609–1685), Madonna and Child, oil on canvas, 25-1/8 x 18-13/16 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge, 38.7.
Dr. Chris Vyhnal, a chemistry teacher at the Thacher School in Ojai California, was also spending the summer as a research fellow in the conservation science lab. He followed the project with interest, checking in regularly as each stage progressed. He intended to use the conservation treatment and scientific analysis of the painting as a case study to illustrate to his high school students how chemistry can influence the care of fine art.
Chris reflected:
My experience at the museum this summer exceeded all expectations. The opportunity to be a fly on the wall for the science study and conservation of the Sassoferrato Madonna and Child were wonderfully enriching experiences that provided a deeper understanding of the behind-the-scenes work of the IMA conservation labs. And that experience and enthusiasm will continue to spread as I share these case studies with my high school students. I'm very grateful, and I'm sure they will be too.
The decision to feature Madonna and Child on the USPS Christmas stamp prompted a fresh understanding, appreciation, and conservation treatment, for this beautiful painting. We hope you come and see it on view from September 17 and look out for this stamp for your holiday mail.
USPS Christmas Stamp Dedication
Be a part of history with a momentous occasion at Newfields as we commemorate the unveiling of the 2024 USPS Christmas Stamp featuring the painting Madonna and Child from the Workshop of Sassoferrato (Italian, 1609-1685) from the Indianapolis Museum ...
Love this article? Learn more about conservation at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Image Credit:
Booklet stamp design featuring the Workshop of Sassoferrato’s Madonna and Child from the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge, 38.7. Courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service.
Madonna and Child before conservation treatment. Workshop of Sassoferrato Madonna and Child (Italian, 1609–1685), date unknown, oil on canvas, 25-1/8 × 18-13/16 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge, 38.7.
Workshop of Sassoferrato (Italian, 1609–1685), Madonna and Child, date unknown, oil on canvas, 25-1/8 × 18-13/16 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Gift of Mrs. Albert J. Beveridge, 38.7.