After four months of restoration work at the Regional Restoration Center, the Christ of Forgiveness, a 1942 work by Valencian artist Vicente Benedito, has returned to its chapel in the parish church of San Joaqu\u00edn in Cieza. The sculpture has recovered "the sculptural qualities and exquisite unique features that its creator bestowed upon it," stated the Director General of Cultural Heritage, Jos\u00e9 Francisco Lajara.<\/p>\n
The image, the titular image of the penitential brotherhood that bears its name, which was established in 1976, participates in the Holy Week processions of Cieza and is greatly venerated in the town.<\/p>\n
The crucified Christ is a sculpture slightly larger than life-size (1.92 meters without the cross) that is unique in that it is not entirely polychrome. Its surface alternates between the natural color of the wood, probably cherry, and light applications of oil paint that, like glazes, color areas such as the loincloth, drops of blood, and hair. In addition, there are applications of fine gold leaf decorating the loincloth and the crown of thorns (the latter detail almost unnoticed before the restoration).<\/p>\n
The entire surface of the image was covered by the sculptor with a layer of wax which, as if it were a varnish, protected the surface and served as a final finish, giving the work a slightly shiny finish.<\/p>\n
It is precisely this very personal finish that has made the restoration most difficult, due to the blackening of the wax layer, a material that, over the years, had aged and darkened by absorbing the dirt that settled on it.<\/p>\n
Cracks were also detected at the joint of the arms with the torso, a typical alteration of the crucified figures that are carried in procession, as well as losses of pictorial layers and occasional lack of support in the cloth.<\/p>\n
All of this has led to a complex restoration project made possible by the use of the latest cleaning techniques. These methods allowed for the selective removal of the wax layer without affecting the delicate oil paint layers that colored other areas. The painstaking process has restored the original color of the wood and the polychrome oil-painted areas, revealing the original finish with which Vicente Benedito completed the crown of thorns, including the application of fine gold, and a change in the cloth's tone, which is now much lighter.<\/p>\n
Following this phase, each and every one of the located fissures and cracks was sealed, and then the existing missing support areas were repaired. These treatments were followed by a phase of differentiated chromatic reintegration, the work of which focused primarily on the cracks between the arms and torso, as well as on the loincloth.<\/p>\n
Once these processes were completed, the final finish to be applied was assessed, whether a new wax or a varnish, with the restoration team opting for the latter, which will provide the same level of shine as wax, but without absorbing the dirt that settles on its surface, while facilitating the reversibility of the layer for future interventions.<\/p>\n
In summary, a complex intervention that has not only restored the original appearance of this beloved image in the city of Cieza, but will also favor its future preservation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source CARM.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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