Saint Birgitta

The light spots in the corners of Birgitta’s eyes are paint marks that you cannot see at all when you look at the statue. There is also some paint on the book, but otherwise the statue is very bare. The painted surfaces of sculptures have often been worn down as a result of natural ageing, but sometimes they have also been intentionally stripped of paint and priming over the centuries. The latter may be the case where Birgitta is concerned. People may have regarded a worn paint surface as unpleasant, and at certain times, it has been desirable to highlight a wooden surface. In the 19th century and even in the early 20th century, sculptures were washed with lye, for example, to create an even wooden surface. This strongly contradicts the original, multicoloured appearance of the sculptures.

The surface of the statue of Birgitta has at some point been treated with wax, which also accentuates the wood surface and darkens the tone of the wood.