Nylon, magnets, 3D and laser to San Juanito, the only Michelangelo … – Aguasdigital.com

                 Photo: EFE

The only sculpture by Michelangelo preserved in Spain, San Juanito, is on display at the Prado as part of “The guest work”. EFE

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             Nylon, magnets, 3D and laser to San Juanito, the only Michelangelo in Spain

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30/03/2015 09: 40 (-6 GTM)

                Madrid, March 30 (EFE) .- Nylon, magnets, stainless steel, “scanners” 3D and laser have replaced 60% of marble that Michelangelo used 520 years ago to carve a sculpture of San Juanito, only that it exists in Spain and today has been presented at the Prado, after the “restitution” of its 130 inches of beauty.
The Foundation Ducal House of Medina-Sevilla owns the piece, sculpted in 1495 by a young Miguel Buonarroti (1475-1564), moved to Spain in 1537, destroyed on July 26, 1936 in the bombing of the Capilla del Salvador Ubeda (south), carried the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence for its restoration in 1995 and reinstated Spain in 2013.
Thanks to the initiative of the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado and its “Invited work” San Juanito (“San Juan Bautista Child”) can be seen from today until June 28 on “the main Spanish cultural institution” in the words of Ignacio Medina, duke of Segorbe and president of the Foundation Medicinaceli.
De Medina explained that the Florentine Opificio accepted “the double challenge” to restore from the 14 found fragments of the original sculpture and do it with a criterion allowing the best of the “refunds”.
“It has been used to achieve a pioneering technique, and, in parallel, Francesco Caglioti did a study testing Undoubtedly, as I had guessed Manuel Gómez Moreno in 1930, authorship, “said the duke.
De Medina admitted he was” very nervous “until the Italian confirmed that indeed that work” absurdly abused “had left” flare “of Michelangelo.
For the Prado director Miguel Zugaza, the exhibition is” a historic event “.
The director of the department of Materials Pétreos the Opificio, Cristina Improta , said that, despite the Florentine workshop is one of the world’s best restoration, have taken “as much” because they have “a magic wand.”
So he said, when in 1995 they reached them the 14 fragments, ie, 40% of the original sculpture, were subjected to “many” analyzes and studies, but it was not until 2011 when they were offered the “technological advantage” that would allow “a successful intervention.”
The first was to make a 3D modeling, pre-scan each piece; then a replica is created to display the lost volumes, reproduced with nylon and fiberglass fragments and mounted with stainless steel bolts fitted between the legs and trunk of the tree that leans San Juanito.
Another complication was the assembly of the head and arms, but got “a perfect fit” with an “unprecedented” magnet system.
His “great hope” is that, in future, to recover other bits and, since all the material that has been used for restitution is “reversible and retractable” will be “easy” remove and replace the marble.
In the piece, which will be returned to the Chapel of the Saviour, though now shall, in its sacristy, are detected “perfectly” because that is wanted, the “refund” of San Juanito, whose destruction is “blame” the CNT Linares, though “do not know” for sure, as the Medinaceli Foundation director, Juan Manuel Albendea.
Concha Barrigós.