| Abstract: | Summaries. An attempt in 1596 to reach China by ship via the Northern Passage, ran aground on the island of Nova Zembla. The seafarers were forced by the ice to wait out the winter there. Packets of prints, which they had taken with them for trade purposes, were left behind on Nova Zembla after the winter stay. At the end of the 19th century these prints came into the possession of the Rijksmuseum, but caked together into almost solid blocks. In the past decade, various unsuccessful attempts were made to free the prints from the blocks. In 1975-76 attempts were begun anew, under the close collaboration of a scientific specialist, J. Hofenk-de Graaf, and the paper restorers of the Rijksmuseum, finally yielding successful results. Among other things they made use of enzymes in water and alcohol. This experimental method was further developed by the paper restorer P. Poldervaart, who in 1977, in collaboration with the chief restorer of the Rijksprentenkabinet, W, P. van Oort, began the process of separating the prints from their blocks. An extremely intensive and laborious job, that at present is almost completed, has yielded more than 600 prints (by Goltzius, de Gheyn and many others) from which many unknown impressions have come to light. |
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