Our Lady of the Rosary: one peculiar 18th century construction technique of polychrome sculpture

The article “Our Lady of the Rosary: one peculiar 18th century construction technique of polychrome sculpture” by E. Murta and H. Pereira discusses the construction of a life-size polychrome sculpture of Our Lady of the Rosary. The sculpture is made of multiple assembled wooden blocks, which is a technique that is not commonly used in polychrome sculpture. The authors of the article believe that the sculptor-artist may have reused materials to create the sculpture, and that the scoring treatment of the surface below the polychromy was intended to mimic a stone sculpture in monochrome support.

Here are some questions and answers about the article:

• What is the unusual construction technique used in the sculpture of Our Lady of the Rosary?
• What are the challenges to the conservation of the sculpture?
• What is the purpose of the scoring treatment of the surface below the polychromy?

The answers to these questions can be found in the article.

For more information, please visit the following website:

https://www.icom-cc.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/polychrome_sculpture_2012.pdf