Restoration of the sculpture of Saint Michael the Archangel in the Church of San Nicolás de Bari
18th century carving
The church of San Nicolás de Bari, or of the Servites, was already mentioned in the Charter of 1202 and holds the privilege of being the oldest church in Madrid.
The sculpture of St. Michael the Archangel, located in one of the church's side chapels, is one of the properties that has been restored in this same temple, thus restoring a movable heritage that was in a bad state of disrepair.
San Miguel Arcangel
A round sculpture with a pyramidal structure, formed by two free-standing pieces, the Archangel Saint Michael and the Devil, supported by a pedestal representing Hell.
The two images are carved from a central piece with fittings in the volumes.
Both figures have wings on their backs, both of which are free-standing carved pieces.
The swords carried by the archangel and the devil are free-standing pieces, not originals but reproductions.
The statue of the Archangel Michael and the Devil are held together by an iron rod that protrudes from the center of the pedestal and passes through the Devil's sculpture on the right thigh. The Archangel is supported by a tubular metal structure on the sole of his right foot.
The image of Saint Michael, one of the seven archangels, known as the Prince of the Celestial Spirits, was very popular during the 17th and 18th centuries, representing the triumph over evil.
The Archangel Michael is depicted as a winged youth with thick, curly hair, like a warrior angel in centurion armor and a flowing cloak; he defiantly defeats Lucifer, his right leg resting on the statue of the devil, paralyzing him with his foot, and his right hand clenched in the form of a threatening fist.
The sculpture of the demon, in foreshortened form, writhes in pain, defeated by the archangel.
Previous state of conservation
The state of conservation of the sculptural group was not good, with the figure of the devil being in better condition than the Archangel Saint Michael.
It had been the subject of a previous restoration, which had added structural elements missing from the original.
The original elements missing from the carving of the Archangel Michael were some fingers on both hands and the left toe, areas in the middle and lower part of the ruffle of the mantle that affected its structure, the knot at the end, and part of the left side of the sash. The carving of the devil was missing some fingers on both hands and toes.
Despite these structural replacements, the wood remains in good condition and free from wood-eating insects.
The sculpture had been repainted in many areas, with the sculpture of the Archangel Saint Michael completely repainted. Loss of the primer, repainting, and widespread dirt embedded throughout the surface were observed. Structural cracks and craquelure affecting the polychrome were also evident, as were small defects and deformations caused by impacts.
The varnish layer appeared dull, matte, and uneven, with dirt embedded all over the surface that made it difficult to see the color.
The overall condition of the polychrome on the figure of the demon was good. The layer appeared uniform, although it showed generalized embedded dirt, with occasional problems with the preparation layer lifting, which could lead to loss. It also showed cracks in the joints.
The demon's right wing lacked support at the tip and was severed at its end. Once the repaint on the left wing was removed, it was clear that the lower section was a wooden structural addition from a previous restoration.
The state of preservation of the pedestal, composed of eight octagonal panels, was in relatively good condition, except for some areas where all the polychromy had been lost to the point where the wood could be seen.
Restoration of the sculptural group
They were made sampling, firstly, to analyse the stratigraphic sequence of the polychromes and was carried out a morphological study of pigments to determine the most appropriate treatments to use.
The intervention attempted to preserve the original work as much as possible, following the criterion of reversibility of processes and materials. It was developed in the following manner: Phases:
- Cleaning with a vacuum cleaner and fine-haired brushes, to remove accumulated dust and dirt.
- Disinsection manually from the exposed wooden parts.
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Replacement of faults on the pieces, especially on the fingers and the mantle.
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Fixing structural cracks.
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Injection of acrylic resin in the fissures and part of the tear duct of the right eye, glazed, of the figure of the Archangel Saint Michael.
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Restitution from the missing left eye of the figure of the Archangel Saint Michael.
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gluing from a detached part in the calf area of the demon's right leg.
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Fixation in polychromy of small lifts, with animal glue adhesive and heat.
- Removal of the repolychromy by mechanical and chemical action and by dirt of incarnations by chemical cleaning.
- Plastering of faults and gaps.
- Chromatic reintegration with criteria of differentiality through discernible points at short distance, in larger areas, and invisibility in small areas, in order not to distort the original.
Images
Technical sheet
- Dating:
18th century. Baroque
- Author
Anonymous
Church of San Nicolás de Bari or of the Servites.
Plaza de San Nicolás No. 6, Madrid.
The sculpture of Saint Michael the Archangel is a protected asset of the Community of Madrid.
The church of San Nicolás de Bari was declared a national historical-artistic monument by Royal Decree 3533/1977, of December 16 (BOE January 30, 1978).
The tower was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931 and the delimitation of the protected area of the tower was published in the BOCAM (National Registry of Natural Resources) on August 28, 2001.
- Work team:
Yolanda López Fernández. Sarga. Art Conservation and Restoration.
- Date of intervention:
2022
- Martín González, Juan José. (1998). Baroque sculpture in Spain. 1600-1770. 3rd ed. Madrid. Art Chair Manuals.
- Tovar V. and JJ Martín González. (1990). The Art of the Baroque, Vol. I, Architecture and Sculpture. Madrid. Taurus Publishing House.
