celestial globe restoration Robert de Vaugondy – After

Celestial globe restoration made by Robert de Vaugondy, Paris, c. 1750

This celestial globe restoration consisted in the cleaning, the reinforcement, the reshaping of the sphere and a full table consolidation.

Unfortunately, this wonderful celestial globe was damaged : a lot of cracks, tears, stains  were present in addition to an old dusty varnish.

celestial globe Robert de Vaugondy

The owner wanted a full restoration, to insure the good conservation of the globe and enjoy his marvellous aesthetic.

It all began with the cleaning and the removal of the varnish. This step is usually vry spectacular, and it allows me to deeply understand the conservation stage of the paper underneath.

Stand cleaning for a Vaugondy celestial globe

I had to remove and restore the damaged gores apart, allowing me to deep clean and reinforce the inner structure.

The global form has been reshaped, and then the sized restored gores have been put back in their place.

Then, a conservation adapted varnish has been remade ! if you want to see a little movie of it, click here :

globe céleste de vaugondy après restauration

Do you want me to restore your Globe ? Here are all the informations you need !

Did you know ?

Restorations carried out according to the rules of this art…

Contemporary restoration, as practiced by Yolaine Voltz, follows a very strict code of ethics based on scientific data and taking into account the successive layers of the work’s history. Before any intervention, she analyses the object as a whole, with its past, its wounds, its modifications and a concern for its transmission. The slightest restoration must be reversible so that, if necessary, it can be removed without damaging the support. Thus, chromatic retouching is carried out on a protective layer that forms a barrier between the old and new paint, allowing for correction or erasure. Derived from modern chemistry, the products used by L’Utile Zéphyr have proven themselves: neutral, stable over time, without risk of yellowing, cracking, etc. As for the materials, they can be made from scratch or come from scraps/authentic elements or old irreparable works.