Psicoplastica Nel Campo (400) by Franco Grignani. The Study and Conservation Treatment of a Painting on Multi-Ply Paperboard

This study documents the conservation treatment of Psicoplastica nel campo (400), a 1971 painting by Franco Grignani on laminated paperboard support. The work showed biological, chemical, and mechanical damage, including severe deformation and extensive fungal attack caused by prolonged humidity exposure. Material characterization, combining non-invasive and micro-invasive analyses identified the materials and degradation processes, informing an experimental programme on facsimiles, comparing traditional weight/pressure flattening with an adapted lateral-restraint method. The latter was found suitable, as it involved controlled humidification followed by edge fixation to a rigid support, producing gentle, uniform tension that restored planarity while avoiding direct surface contact with the surface. The conservation treatment also included cleaning, removal of efflorescences, stain reduction, and consolidation of the paint layer. Finally, the work was rehoused in a conservation-grade frame. The workflow and facsimile testing provide a replicable framework for treating deformed multilayer paperboards where pressure-based flattening is unsuitable.