The Cleveland Museum of Art

• Full conservation statement
  The window is composed of clear and colored glass pieces secured with lead cames, which are strips of lead shaped like an H in cross section. Select areas of the clear glass have been decorated with silver stain, a solution of silver oxide that is painted onto the glass surface, dried, and then fired to produce a bright yellow tone. Colored glass pieces were created by adding powdered metals to the molten glass during manufacture, creating the brilliant blue, red, and green tones seen in this artwork. The obverses of most glass pieces are additionally painted with glass frit in a range of dark tones to form the outlines and details of the image. This fired-painted decoration is then selectively scratched through to create a three dimensional, painterly effect with a technique called sgraffito. This is particularly evident in Christ’s hair.
  
  Stained glass windows were exposed to the elements during use in a church or other architectural setting, and this weathering is responsible for the extensive pitting of numerous glass pieces in this artwork, making them appear more opaque than originally intended. Other common damages to stained glass windows include fractures in the glass panels or replacing lost glass pieces, both of which are noted on this artwork. Four pieces of light blue glass adjacent to the Christ figure were observed as being much lighter in color and did not exhibit signs of weathering, indicating they were replacements. As this distracted from the overall composition, treatment included reversibly altering the appearance of the new glass to mimic the original pieces. Mylar sheet was airbrushed with acrylic paints in a darker blue tone and cut to fit each section. The colored Mylar was adhered to the reverse of each piece with Japanese tissue and conservation adhesive, and additional toned Japanese tissue was layered behind the Mylar to give it an aged, weathered appearance. In addition to replacing damaged or lost glass pieces, additional lead cames were often added to repair breaks. This common historical repair technique explains why in this window there is a slightly thinner lead came running through Christ’s face; it is unlikely this was part of the original design. The historical lead came repairs are stable and part of the history of the object; therefore, they were not removed. Additional fractures in the glass were stabilized at the museum by adding a modern, conservation-grade, clear acrylic adhesive. This stained glass window, as with others on display in the museum, has custom designed LED panels that light the artworks without any detrimental buildup of heat, and the case materials have been rigorously tested to prevent additional degradation of the glass and lead materials.
• Provenance
  William G. Mather, Cleveland, Ohio.
• Cite this Page
  {{cite web|title=Crucified Christ|url=false|author=|year=c. 1480–1500|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}