Combined solvent- emulsion- and polyacrylate gel- cleaning of an over-cleaned, injured egg tempera icon

A well-designed cleaning treatment incorporating established traditional and advanced methods can address the most challenging issues in art conservation. As demonstrated here, it can enhance the aesthetics and the condition of works of art that may have not been professionally treated in the past. In this particular case, solvents, microemulsions, polyacrylic gels and solvent gels were combined to enhance the condition of a nineteenth century tempera and gilded icon with obvious signs of a previous non-professional cleaning. The conservation result showed that it is possible to optimize the treatment efficacy by tailoring the interaction of cleaning agents with specific cultural heritage surfaces.