The analyses carried out in preparation for the restoration of a Nuremberg house altar with seven small reverse glass paintings owned by the Corning Museum of Glass, New York proved to be a highlight: Only very few works exist that are comparable to this precious piece dated to the late 16th century.
The analyses of the Doerner Institut and the BAM resulted in the identification of high quality colorants and binding media. The materials were obtained both from domestic as well as foreign sources and traded over great distances. The conservation and restoration treatment carried out by Simone Bretz and Johannes von Miller (Bad Wiessee) as well as the scientific examinations of this reverse glass altarpiece were funded by the Getty Conservation Institute.
The Doerner Institut is also studying another contemporary reverse glass painting, the so-called Spanish Map, created probably by Augustin Hirschvogel (Nuremberg 1549) from the collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Media analyses are also planned here, which will be useful for the conservation and restoration campaign.
