Category: Conservation
Vasari Ceiling Paintings Reunited
September 3 2024
Video: Antenna Tre
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice have just opened a new display, reuniting a set of ceiling paintings originally completed by Giorgio Vasari for the Palazzo Corner Spinelli. The nine works, depicting allegories of Charity, Faith, Hope, Justice and Patience, were dispersed at the end of the 18th century.
The Rainbow Portrait Conserved
September 2 2024
Picture: Hatfield House
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Hatfield House are putting on a special event on 20th September to celebrate the recent conservation of the famous Rainbow Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I.
The evening event will feature a range of talks from experts in Tudor history, fashion history, Tudor paintings and paintings conservation. The speakers lined up include Stephen Alford, Dr. Susan North, Karen Hearn FSA and Nicole Ryder.
Tickets cost a mere £45 per person (includes champagne reception!).
Watteau's Pierrot to be cleaned
July 15 2024
Picture: Louvre
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news from the Louvre in Paris that Watteau's iconic Pierrot (or sometimes referred to as Gilles) will be cleaned for a special exhibition opening in October 2024. Entitled A NEW LOOK ON WATTEAU: AN ACTOR WITH NO LINES - PIERROT, KNOWN AS GILLES the show promises to reveal new findings from their ongoing conservation project, alongside a more wider cultural history of the painting. Alas, they haven't released any mid-clean or post-clean photos just yet.
According to the museum's upcoming schedule:
Watteau’s Pierrot, formerly known as Gilles, is one of the most famous masterpieces in the Louvre’s collection. This enigmatic work, which has long raised questions for art historians, is currently undergoing conservation treatment at the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France, after which time it will be the focus of a spotlight exhibition.
Nothing is known about the painting before it was discovered by the artist and collector Dominique Vivant Denon (1747–1825), Director of the Louvre under Napoleon. It soon came to be regarded as a Watteau masterpiece and garnered praise from renowned writers and art historians. It has often been seen as reflecting a certain image of the 18th century – mischievous, cynical or melancholy, depending on the author and the era. Its fame boosted the return to favour of 18th-century art in the age of Manet and Nadar.
The exhibition will present the findings of the conservation project. It will approach this wholly original work – whose attribution to Watteau has sometimes been questioned – both as part of the artist’s oeuvre and in the cultural and artistic context of the time. Alongside many other paintings and drawings by Watteau, there will be works by his contemporaries – painters, draughtsmen, engravers (Claude Gillot, Antoine Joseph Pater, Nicolas Lancret, Jean Baptiste Oudry, Jean Honoré Fragonard, etc.) and writers (Pierre de Marivaux, Alain-René Lesage, Jean-François Regnard, Evaristo Gherardi), with special emphasis on the rich theatrical repertoire of the time.
Madonna del Pantheon Conserved
July 10 2024
Video: MiC_Italia
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Rome that the so-called Madonna del Pantheon, an incredibly ancient religious painting possibly dating to the 7th century, has been conserved. The 8-month project, which included scientific analysis, was funded by the Italian fashion house Bulgari.
Can Sound Damage Art?
June 26 2024
Picture: iiconservation.org
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Can sound damage art? Well, scientists from The National Gallery in London have been exploring this question and are 'still working through the data acquired and hope to share the results in a journal article in the near future'. If you'd like to read about the tests carried out, so have a look at the article written by Catherine Higgitt, Tomasz Galikowski, David Trew and others in the latest News in Conservation journal (free to access).
Conserving Kauffman's Frame
June 25 2024
Picture: icon.org.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
ICON (The Institute of Conservation) have published a short article on the recent restoration of the original frame belonging to Angelica Kauffman's Diomedes and Cressida. The work was undertaken by Sophie Reddington and Jonida Mecani and features within the recently opened display at Petworth which delves into the complete restoration of Kauffman's painting.
Restored Rubens Redisplayed
June 19 2024
Video: The National Gallery, London
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Gallery in London have redisplayed Rubens' The Judgement of Paris yesterday after a 14-month restoration project. The study has revealed some interesting pentimenti alongside a greater understanding of some retouching that occurred to the painting between 1676 and 1721.
Zurbarán in Lyon
June 17 2024
Picture: mba-lyon.fr
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Musée des beaux arts de Lyon have been sharing some photos on their 'X' account (@mbalyon) showing the ongoing conservation of Francisco de Zurbarán's full-length painting of Saint Francis. The restoration work anticipates the museum's upcoming exhibition dedicated to the artist, which will reunite several paintings of the saint including those kept at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and the Museum of Fine Art of Boston. The show is expected to open in December 2024 #mce_temp_url# (<----CLICK HERE FOR A LINK).
National Museum of Wales Conserving Strozzi
June 14 2024
Picture: 'X' via @NMWPrevCons
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Museum of Wales in Cardiff have shared this interesting mid-clean image of Bernardo Strozzi's St Francis of Assisi embracing a Crucifix. Follow this link ----->#mce_temp_url# to see an image of the painting prior to conservation, it promises to be a remarkable clean!
Versailles Conserving Mignard's 'The family of the Grand Dauphin'
June 10 2024
Picture: @CVersailles
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Palace of Versailles have published some rather interesting mid-clean photographs of the conservation of Pierre Mignard's The family of the Grand Dauphin, Louis of France (1661-1711). This large-scale work, which was delivered in 1687, is the latest to be treated by conservators at the Palace.
The Louvre Conserve Arcimboldo Seasons
June 5 2024
Picture: Louvre
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Louvre in Paris have shared news that they have conserved their set of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's celebrated Seasons. The project undertaken by conservator Roberto Merlo had included the removal of floral garlands which had decorated the margins of these portraits (which can be seen here), as they were deemed to have been added in the eighteenth century. Another very interesting conservation project undertaken by this traditionally cautious museum - let's see what will be cleaned next...
The restored paintings are on view from today onwards, so do go and see them if you happen to be in Paris!
Watch Correggio Conservation in Dresden
June 5 2024
Picture: gemaeldegalerie.skd.museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
This blog appears to have missed the news that the The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden are allowing visitors to go and see the conservation of Correggio's Madonna of Saint Sebastian. The project, which started back in 2022, involved a temporary conservation studio being built in the gallery which is accessible to visitors. It appears that art lovers will have until the end of the year (2024) to go and see the conservation of this enormous oil on panel painting.
Donatello's Judith and Holofernes Conserved
June 4 2024
Picture: ansa.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Italy that Donatello's bronze of Judith and Holofernes has been conserved and redisplayed to the public. The sculpture, in the collections of Palazzo Vecchio, has just completed a ten-month conservation project which was funded in part by the Friends of Florence Foundation. Click on the link to see images of the newly restored work.
François Lemoyne Frescos Being Restored
June 3 2024
Video: Coupe-File Art
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from France of the ongoing restoration of François Lemoyne's frescos completed for the la chapelle de la Vierge in the l’église Saint-Sulpice, Paris. The vast project, which covers 373 m² of frescos, will be revealed to the public later in July.
Conserving Kauffman at Petworth
May 31 2024
Picture: nationaltrust.org.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A new display will be opening at Petworth House on 10th June dedicated to the recent conservation of Angelica Kauffman's Diomed and Cressida (1788).
According to The National Trust's website:
Conserving Kauffman will include a short film that documents the conservation of the painting and its frame, interwoven with fascinating historical details about Kauffman, the Shakespeare Gallery where the painting was originally exhibited, and the history of Petworth House itself.
“It’s so exciting to see this spectacular painting returning to Petworth. Previously hidden details have been painstakingly restored and vibrant colours have been revealed. We can’t wait to unveil it to visitors and shine a light on the fantastic work of our conservators in bringing it back to life”. - Dr Emily Knight, Property Curator.
The display will run until 24th November 2024 and access is included within the Petworth House entry ticket.
Brancacci Chapel Restoration Completed
May 29 2024
Video: @MichelangeloBuonarrotietornato
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The restoration of the Brancacci Chapel in Florence has been completed after a 3 1/2 year project. Begun in November 2020, the project had included an in-depth analysis of the pigments and processes used in its creation by Masolino, Masaccio and Filippino Lippi. Findings will be presented in a special conference next Spring. Watch the video above to see some of the conservators at work, although, the accompanying music is awful, so I recommend muting your speakers beforehand.
Katherine Parr Cleaned
May 23 2024
Picture: Left - Sotheby's / Right - @NPGLondon via 'X'
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The National Portrait Gallery in London have shared a photo on 'X' showing the recently restored portrait of Katherine Parr (right), the last wife of King Henry VIII. The painting, attributed to Master John, had been sold from the collection of the Earls of Jersey at Sotheby's in 2023 (left) and is now in a private collection. The conservation of this portrait has been very successful by the looks of it. Those bold blocks of colour in the background, set against Katherine's face and intricate dress, gives the portrait a remarkably modern feel I think.
It appears that the painting will be included in the NPG's upcoming Six Wives exhibition which opens in June.
Cornelis van der Geest's Quentin Metsys Discovered
May 23 2024
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have released news that the prime version of Quentin Metsys' Madonna of the Cherries has been discovered. The work had actually appeared as 'Studio of' back in 2015 (pictured left), however, the recent cleaning of the picture has shown it to be a painting of high quality. Furthermore, it appears that this picture is the same that was once owned by Cornelis van der Geest and appears in a famous painting of his gallery by Willem van Haecht.
The painting will be offered in the upcoming Christie's London Old Masters Part I sale carrying an estimate of £8m - £12m.
Special Exhibition for Restored Carracci Fireplaces
May 21 2024
Picture: lemusenews.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A special exhibition has just opened at the Palazzo d'Accursio in Bologna. The show is dedicated to two recently restored fireplaces by Ludovico and Annibale Carracci. The frescos, which were removed from their original settings and placed onto canvas in 1911, were purchased at auction in 2022 by Michelangelo Poletti. The works have since been restored and will now be on display until 22nd September 2024. Click on the link above to read the full story.
Kauffmann and Restored Reynolds on Display at Saltram House
May 21 2024
Picture: art9000.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Saltram House in Devon, a property run by The National Trust, have been lent Angelica Kauffmann's portrait of its previous owner Theresa Parker from a private collection. The painting is on display alongside the property's recently restored full-length portrait of Theresa by Sir Joshua Reynolds. According to the article linked above:
Kauffman’s portrait of Theresa Parker was commissioned by Parker herself as a gift for her friend Lady Pelham. The portrait is on loan from a private collection and is being shown in public for the first time in this country.
The small full-length depiction of Theresa is intimate in scale and shows her in fashionable Turkish dress. The portrait representing Theresa’s love for her friend contrasts the portrait by Reynolds, which was commissioned for public display at the Royal Academy in 1773, and as a companion for another large historical family portrait in the Saloon. [...]
The two portraits of Theresa Parker have added poignance as Theresa sadly died in 1775 at the age of only 35. Reynolds was the one to write her obituary, again, a testament to their friendship and his respect of her artistic knowledge and sensibility.
The paintings will be on display in the house until the end of June.
