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Study of Hercules in the Form of a Term
Polidoro da Caravaggio (Italian, about 1499–about 1543)
Pen and brush and brown ink and gouache on blue laid paper
Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Jay J. Albrecht 1984.5
ADOPTED
Conservation of this artwork was made possible by generous contributions from Trudy Brown and Laura Lee Brown through the Adopt-an-Artwork program
This delicate little drawing has had a hard life. Won’t you help it have a better future? At some point in the past, the drawing was glued onto another piece of paper to mend tears and losses, disguise small holes made by insects, and provide a more stable structure. Unfortunately, over time the adhesive failed and the drawing detached from its paper support, leaving a yellowed glue residue on the back that’s starting to bleed through and stain the front. Small fragments of the original drawing tore off and remain stuck to the backing sheet. The conservator will carefully reduce the adhesive residue by scraping it off using a surgical scalpel. The original fragments will be salvaged from the secondary paper and reinserted into the drawing like pieces of a puzzle. Tears and losses will be mended using Japanese tissue paper and disguised using colored pencils to match the color of the paper.
