By Ph.D. Biljana Topalova-Casadiego, Painting Conservator

Experiments and coincidence

During his period of residence in Berlin, from 1892-95, Munch began to experiment with painting techniques that were relevant to the means of expression he wanted to achieve. This was characterised by a particular atmosphere and aimed to encourage reflection. The paintings were given matte surfaces consisting of relatively thin layers of colour. This resulted in paintings that had a toned-down, almost fresco-like feel to them (fig 13). However, these paintings are often damaged by water, rust spots and traces of mould as well as holes and tears (fig 12). The damage has occurred as a result of the way in which Munch treated the paintings, because he experimented and took advantage of the opportunities and effects that occurred coincidentally, in addition to his conscious choice of materials and knowledge of painting techniques.

Origin and technique

Death and the Maiden is painted on canvas with plain weave (fig 1), which has become fragile over the course of time – it has rust spots, holes and tears. It could have been Munch himself who primed the canvas with a layer of chalk that does not completely fill the structure of the underlying canvas. In several places, the priming and layers of colour are so thin, that the structure of the canvas beneath is exposed. The white grounding is also clearly visible, both in places where the surface has been scraped off, and where wear and tear has damaged the painted surface (fig 3a, 3b).

Despite the rather badly damaged surface of the painting, it is possible to follow Munch’s working process. It probably started with a black drawing, which can still be seen on the female figure’s left leg and arm (fig 4). Thinned layers of colour were then applied. In some places the colour was been mixed before it was applied, whilst in other areas, the washes of colour are built up layer by layer, so that those beneath show through (fig 5). This is the process Munch employed to develop most of the middle section of the painting (fig 6). The contours that surround the main figure and the foetuses were applied after the shapes were painted. Some strokes were also applied after the underlying colour had dried enough to prevent the coloured layers mixing – for example, the contours painted around the body, the brown brushstrokes depicting wriggling sperm cells, and a few brushstrokes that occur at the bottom right hand corner of the painting (fig 7). Taken as a whole, it would appear that the painting was worked on relatively continuously in naturally progressing stages.

The painting is characterised by a restricted palette (fig 8a, 8b and 8c), and this has influenced the general atmosphere of the work. Although there are examples of mixed colours, these are usually fairly simple mixtures. For example, the blue colour consists of ultramarine with some barium sulphate (fig 9), and the green tone in the left section of the composition consists of ultramarine mixed with probably chrome oxide green (fig 10). A general analysis of paint samples taken from the areas depicting skin, show that a mixture of barium sulphate and zinc white with additional cinnabar and ultramarine was used (fig 11).

Previous condition and treaument

Because the painting is part of the collection of his work that Munch bequeathed to the City of Oslo (fig 14), the first short notes concerning the treatment of the painting originate from the time it was kept at Ekely – the time after Munch’s death. These notes mention little about the actual condition of the painting. In the protocol concerning the treatment of the painting, from September 1951, it simply states: “Lined on to new canvas and new stretchers. Wedges, ties and paper edges.” And from January 1952: “Re-lined on to new canvas, new stretchers, wedges and ties.” The painting is not varnished and the coloured layers give a slight relief effect. Only a few of the brushstrokes are pastose in character – some of these have been flattened out due to pressure when the painting was lined on to new canvas. In some areas, crackling has occurred, and flaking is visible over almost the entire painted surface. The layers of paint are therefore damaged in large areas of the painting, and a great deal of the canvas is visible, especially along the edges. There are also scrapes and other signs of the paint being rubbed. Some of this damage has clearly taken place after Munch’s work when the painting was complete. In addition, there are spots (fig 12) which may be attributed to damage of the painted layers and tears in the original canvas.

In 1961, the following was registered: “a number of scrapes and flaking, large water stains and some dirt marks (rust)”, and in subsequent years, new scratches and scrapes appear. A coneition report from 1975 states “…in the skeleton’s elbow there is a ripped hole in the original canvas” (fig 15). New rips have also been noted in the surface, in particular, on the upper portion of the skeleton’s arm and leg (fig 16). The report concludes that seems “… as if the scrapes have been made by intruders. We can only assume that this occurred between 2nd July 1973 and 20th January 1975 (…) the rip in the skeleton’s elbow has been glued back into place.

During the 1990’s, greater care was taken to prevent the occurrence of new damage, especially in connection with exhibitions and when the painting went on loan. Death and the Maiden was protected by laminated glass with UV absorbtion and anti-reflex coating, as well as a frame. In July 2002, the painting was examined and some loose paint was re-attached to the canvas as it was to go on loan to an exhibition in Vienna. Although the canvas support was stable, there were several problems related to the paint layers and grounding. The layers of paint have difficulty binding together, and crackling and flaking of the upper layers takes place. Because of this, the surface will become covered with loose lying particles and there will be areas that lack the upper layers of paint. Damage of this nature can be seen along the right leg of the skeleton (fig 17) and in the background between the girl’s right leg and the foetus closest to the bottom of the painting. It is most noticeable in the areas where the blue colour is covered by a thin layer of brown (fig 18).

Examinations of loose particles under the microscope show layers of colour that are poor to binding medium: the blue colour in the areas mentioned probably had relatively good contact with the grounding. The brown colour that overlays the blue has been applied in thin layers, that has become almost completely disengaged from the underlying level. In other places, especially where the layers of paint have been damaged, there are areas where severe crackling has occurred. This is related to the flaking of the grounding and the layers of colour. In these areas, the grounding and the layers of colour were strongly bound to one another, but badly attached to the underlying canvas. Fibres and dirt were visible on the surface of the painting.

In 1961, the scrapes and scratches in the painting were re-touched using tempera colours. No infiling was used before the retouching took place. At that time, the conservators probably concentrated their efforts on the middle section of the composition in order to give the damaged painting a clearer, less messy appearance. In contrast to this, the conservation of the newly-registered scrapes and damage in the 1970’s was restricted to consolidating the damaged areas to prevent the development of further deterioration. After 1961, no further integration of the flaking on the surface took place. Today, both the new and the old damage is visible as well as the integration of some of the older scars. Unfortunately, many of the older retouched areas on the surface of the painting have changed colour and the matt finish has probably changed considerably in relation to its original condition and appearance.

The aims: consolidation and treatment process

The conservation of the painting prior to the exhibition in Vienna was based upon aesthetic principles regarding the appearance of the painting in its existing condition, or speculation about how, or to what degree the condition and appearance of the painting conformed to Munch’s own intentions. The painting needed urgent attention because it was to be exhibited abroad – its condition meant that parts of the painting were in danger of being lost due to movement and vibrations that might occur during transport and handling.

The first priority was therefore the consolidation or re-attachment of the loose layers of paint. The situation demanded a method by which the consolidant could be applied without creating changes to the appearance of the surface. The aim was to use the minimum amount of consolidant, but nevertheless secure the layers of paint. The method also needed to be compatible with the materials used. In order to avoid marks on the surface and to strengthen the connection between the layers of paint; Ultrasonic Humidifier Kit from Preservation Equipment Limited (fig 19) was used for the first phase of the conservation process. This was used after surface dirt had been removed from the surface using a small, soft, dampened sable brush and tweezers. Ultrasonic misting has several advantages: It applies the consolidant in tiny drops, the speed of the ejected “mist” is low and the mouthpiece allows an easily-directed “stream of mist”. This makes it easy to control the amount of the applied consolidant. It is important to apply a weak solution of the consolidant, and this method is therefore not recommended for attaching loose paint to an underlying canvas. On the areas where the surface of the painting was pulverised and had loose flakes, a careful application of the consolidant was carried out and afterwards the flakes were re-attached to the underlying canvas with a small brush dipped in a stronger concentrate of the consolidant. Death and the Maiden was the first painting in the Munch Museum to be consolidated using an Ultrasonic misting device, and the standard settings for the equipment had to be adjusted in order to carry out this particular task.

After experimenting with different consolidants, sturgeon glue was chosen. In order to secure the freshness of the product, a 0,5% solution of the substance was dissolved in de-mineralised water prior to each consolidation session. The application of the substance followed the forms and lines of the painting, and two or three applications were necessary before the pigments were sufficiently attached. Maximum attachment and minimum colour change were thereby achieved by gradually increasing the concentration of the weak solution. This method also avoided the build up of new lines appearing on the surface. This can easily happen in the overlaps between areas where the concentration of the attaching agent differs. A 2% concentrate of the solution was used for further consolidation work in order to re-attach larger particles and paint flakes using a brush.

Finally, the painting was put under gentle pressure in order to prevent dents whilst the consolidated areas dried out. The result was a better overall attachment of the layers of paint. Of course, the painting is still fragile, but particles and flakes can no longer be so easily displaced.