Category: Conservation
Clean the King's Pictures
November 14 2025
Picture: Royal Collection Trust
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Collection Trust are hiring a Senior Paintings Conservator.
According to the job description:
The Royal Collection contains an unparalleled collection of nearly 8,000 paintings and 3,000 miniatures. Our team of talented Paintings Conservators are responsible for all conservation activities relating to the paintings displayed within the Royal residences, as well for loans from the Paintings collection.
As a Senior Conservator you will deputise for the Head of Paintings Conservation and support the overall management of the conservation studio as well as assessing and conserving paintings using the most appropriate methods and materials.
The job comes with a salary of £42,000 - £45,000 per annum and applications must be in by 22nd December 2025.
Good luck if you're applying!
Restoring Georges de La Tour
November 13 2025
Picture: C2RMF
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Centre of Research and Restoration of the Musées De France (C2RMF) have published an article on the recent conservation of Georges de la Tour's Job Mocked by his Wife. The picture belongs to the Musée d'Épinal.
Althorp Mytens Conserved
November 10 2025
Picture: @cspencer1508 via 'X'
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Charles Earl Spencer has shared some rather nice images on social media of a portrait from Althorp, Northamptonshire, which has recently been cleaned. The painting by Daniel Mytens depicts Henry, 3rd Earl of Southampton. Click on the link above to see how the picture looked before treatment and some rather pleasing high-definition details too...
Restored Bellini heading to New York
November 10 2025
Picture: City Museum of Rimini
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Giovanni Bellini's recently restored Pietà will be heading from the City Museum of Rimini to the Morgan Museum and Library in New York for a special exhibition opening early next year.
According to artnet.com:
“We already see him merging a few key traditions and influences,” the Morgan’s curator John Marciari said over email. “Thus forging the modern manner for which he is still famous.” The half-length is drawn from the tradition of Byzantine icon painting, the sculptural elements taken from Bellini’s study of Donatello, and his sense of classical form likely gleaned from his brother-in-law Andrea Mantegna.
The painting, which remained at Migliorati’s memorial from his death in 1499 until the end of the 18th century, was in need of serious treatment. Humidity had long ago caused the panel to shift and split, resulting in a loss of paint and a large crack running across the middle of the painting. In celebration of its rejuvenation, Pietà will travel to Ca’ d’Oro in Venice ahead of its stateside showing.
The show will run from 15th January until 19th April 2026.
Luca Giordano conserved at the Palazzo Grimani
November 7 2025
Picture: finestresullarte.info
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Italy that Luca Giordano's Samaritan Woman at the Well has been conserved and redisplayed in the Palazzo Grimani, Venice. The work had only been assigned to the museum by the Italian Ministry of Culture in 2022, due to various connections of patronage between the artist at the Grimani family.
Click on the link above to see more conservation photos.
14th Century Frescos Conserved at Santa Maria della Scala
November 5 2025
Video: Siena News
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A fresco cycle in the Santa Maria della Scala complex of historic buildings in Siena has been conserved. The works, attributed to Lippo Vanni (active between 1340-1375), were only rediscovered as recently as 1999. The recently restored wall paintings will be opened to the public from 7th November 2025 onwards.
Chichester Museum to Conserve Amberley Panels
November 5 2025
Picture: The Novium Museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Novium Museum in Chichester has announced its plans to conserve a notable set of 16th century panels known as The Worthy Women or The Amberley Panels. The set, created by Lambert Barnard for the Bishop of Chichester in around 1526, depicts nine famous heroines from antiquity and history.
According to the article above:
At a meeting on Tuesday (November 4), Chichester District Council approved plans to fund the project, setting aside £191,300 for vital conservation work* [undertaken by the Hamilton Kerr Institute in Cambridge] and an additional £57,250 to create a specially controlled display space at the museum.
* - This may sound like a lot, but, considering they measure roughly 115 x 86 cm each, the figure makes more sense.
Chamber of Cupid and Psyche at the Palazzo Te Restored
October 31 2025
Picture: ansa.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Italy that the recently conserved Chamber of Cupid and Psyche at the Palazzo Te in Mantua has been unveiled to the public. Painted by Giulio Romano and his workshop between 1526-8, the recent campaign of restoration was supported by the Giulio and Giovanna Sacchetti Onlus Foundation.
Rebuilt Princeton University Art Museum to Open on 31st October
October 27 2025
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Prince University's rebuilt Art Museum, designed by David Adjaye, is to reopen to the public on 31st October 2025. The brutal concrete structure, which the article linked above describes as 'a cluster of serrated concrete bunkers' and will house no fewer than 32 galleries, has come at a cost of purportedly $300m. Click on the link above to read more and view pictures of the new structure and its interiors.
BMAG's Pre-Raphaelite Galleries Reopen
October 27 2025
Video: BMAG via Instagram
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery's (BMAG) galleries of Pre-Raphaelite paintings reopened last Saturday after a major refurbishment.
According to their website:
Display highlights include new acquisitions by female artists, including the first oil painting by a female Pre-Raphaelite to enter the city’s collection: Emma Sandys’s Young Woman with a Rose. Also on show is The Puritan Maiden Priscilla by Birmingham painter Kate Bunce, acquired this year and displayed in the Museum for the first time. There will also be the chance to see important pictures on long-term loan from private collections, including paintings by Joanna Boyce Wells, Burne-Jones and Arthur Hughes.
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As an aside, the museum is currently hiring a Senior Curatorial Fellow (Modern & Contemporary Art).
According to the job advert:
We are looking for an experienced socially-engaged practitioner to join Birmingham Museums Trust as Senior Curatorial Fellow of Modern and Contemporary Art.
This role will lead on initiatives to connect diverse communities with Birmingham’s significant collections of modern and contemporary art, as well as working closely with artists and arts organisations to support the city’s and region’s ambitions around contemporary art practice.
With a focus on collaboration, the postholder will contribute to collections research, development, acquisitions, and displays.
The position comes with a salary of £40,000 per annum and applications must be in by 9th November 2025.
Good luck if you're applying!
Moulins Triptych Restored
October 14 2025
Picture: Louvre
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Louvre has announced the completion of a restoration project on Jean Hey's Moulins Triptych. Begun in 2022, the campaign of conservation and in-depth study was undertaken by Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF). The artwork will be revealed to the public on 26th November 2026 in a special display within the museum.
Velázquez's Philip IV Equestrian Portrait Conserved
October 10 2025
Video: El Debate
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Prado in Madrid have unveiled Velázquez's freshly conserved Equestrian Portrait of Philip IV. After the four-month conservation project, the museum now believe that the artist undertook all of the painting himself with minimal workshop assistance.
Restored Hogarth Murals reopened to Public
October 7 2025
Picture: bdonline.co.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news that William Hogarth's recently restored murals undertaken for St Bartholomew's Hospital in London have been reopened to the public. The whole project to restore the hospital's North Wing cost £9.5m and has taken 5 years to complete.
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Apologies for the slightly small image, do let me know there are any high-res images of the actual paintings themselves (rather than just room shots) available anywhere!
Alba Collection Borrows and Cleans Duke of Pastrana's Painting
October 2 2025
Picture: vanitatis.elconfidencial.es
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Spain that the Casa de Alba Foundation in Madrid have restored and put on display the Duke of Pastrana's double portrait of María Enríquez de Toledo, the III Duchess of Alba and her husband Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel. It appears that the picture has been catalogued simply as 'Spanish School' for the time being. The display is part of a new collaborative project to highlight paintings from private collections not usually accessible to the public. The Pastrana painting has been placed alongside Rubens' double portrait of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal from the Alba collection.
Städel Museum to conserve Rembrandt's The Blinding of Samson
October 1 2025
Picture: Städel Museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news from Frankfurt that the Städel Museum are embarking on a conservation project on Rembrandt's The Blinding of Samson. The latest campaign is expected to take 3 or 4 years and has been funded in part by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project. The article linked above has more details regarding technical examinations undertaken on the picture a few years ago.
To quote the article linked above:
“Our goal is to restore Rembrandt’s painting to its original intensity while ensuring the long-term preservation of the painting’s substance,” Stephan Knobloch, the Städel’s head of art technology and restoration, said in a statement. “Every measure is carefully tailored to the original techniques and materials in order to preserve the work as the artist intended.”
Royal Collection Clean Giulio Romano
September 29 2025
Video: Royal Collection Trust via Instagram
Posted by Adam Busiakeiwicz:
The Royal Collection Trust have published the following video showing the results of conservation on Giulio Romano's The Nurture of Jupiter. The painting is now on display at Windsor Castle, the first time it has been in 60 years apparently.
Simone Martini's St. Louis of Toulouse to be Restored
September 29 2025
Picture: Museum and Real Bosco di Capodimonte
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte have announced the upcoming conservation of Simone Martini's monumental St. Louis of Toulouse. Dated to around 1317, the painting was last restored in 1966. The new campaign of work will be undertaken by the company Opificio delle Pietre Dure and will last approximately 6 months.
Moving the Bayeux Tapestry
September 24 2025
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Earlier this summer it was announced during President Macron's State visit to the UK that The British Museum would be borrowing the famous Bayeux Tapestry for a special exhibition opening in September 2026. There have been growing concerns in both the French art press (1) (2) and some commentators in the UK (1) that the tapestry's unique conservation considerations have been overridden for political purposes and not been given adequate thought.
Yesterday the French Ministry of Culture's website published preliminary reports into the questions of how the UNESCO historical monument (as it is designated) will be moved, including outlines for a new study commissioned by the French state. In other words, there's a long way to go to establish how movement and vibrations will affect this ancient textile.
More news as and when it appears.
Rubens Restored in Antwerp
September 19 2025
Picture: CODART
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
CODART (the international network of curators of Dutch and Flemish art) have shared news of the completion of the first phase of restoration of Rubens' Enthroned Madonna Adored by Saints, a gargantuan painting in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA). Click on the link to follow the progress and see more images at various stages of cleaning.
Gerard Seghers Pictures from Wentworth Woodhouse to be Conserved
September 18 2025
Picture: Burlington Magazine / Martin Drury
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news that a set of paintings from Wentworth Woodhouse by Gerard Seghers will be conserved in the upcoming months. An appeal for their restoration, in honour of the late Alaistair Laing who reattributed to set to Seghers, was published in the Burlington Magazine back in May.
Click on the links above for more details including the project's fundraising page.
