Category: Conservation
Aert de Gelder conserved by Kremer Collection
April 14 2026
Video: Kremer Collection
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Kremer Collection in Amsterdam have published the following video providing an insight into the conservation of the recently acquired Homer dictating to Scribes by Aert de Gelder.
Chopped Artemisia Gentileschi up for sale in Vienna
April 1 2026
Picture: Dorotheum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Amongst the highlights of the upcoming Old Master auction at the Dorotheum in Vienna is this chopped fragment of Mary Magdalene by Artemisia Gentileschi.* The picture, which is an 'autograph replica' of a version in the Uffizi in Florence and had been exhibited in Milan in 2011-2012, may have been cut into its present state at some point during the war when the painting was in Berlin. What remains is up for sale carrying an estimate of €100,000 - €150,000.
The work was published by scholars Roberto Contini and Francesco Solinas as by the artist in full and also carries a recent endorsement by Riccardo Lattuada (according to the catalogue note). The auction will take place on 28th April 2026.
According to their catalogue note (again, not a hoax):
The fact that this painting is damaged should not diminish its significance within the artists oeuvre. It is highly unusual for, a work of art of this importance to come to auction with the central feature, in this case the head of the saint, summarily removed. More often it is the fragment itself which has been removed from a larger, damaged work which appears on the market. In the absence of the missing part of this painting, it could be argued that the very loss it has suffered imbues the painting with a sense of dramatic intensity, evoking a visceral response almost akin to the reaction experienced with certain contemporary works of art. Ricardo Lattuada draws parallels between the impact of the present painting in its damaged state, with the conceptual work of emilio Isgrò (b.1937) who is known for his use of creative erasure, a technique of removing words from books to turn absence into meaning.
* - Although today is 1st April, I can assure you this is not an April fools.
Velázquez, Technique and History (in Spanish)
March 27 2026
Video: Prado via YouTube
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Yet another fascinating sound lecture on the Prado YouTube channel (in Spanish) from a recent conference detailing the technical and stylistic evolution of Velázquez. The presentation is given by Jaime García-Máiquez of the museum's technical department.
Agostino Beltrano Pictures to be Restored and Returned to Pozzuoli Cathedral
March 27 2026
Picture: finestresullarte.info
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Italy that the Capodimonte Museums in Naples will be restoring and returning elements of a triptych by Agostino Beltrano back to Pozzuoli Cathedral. The wings which originally flanked Beltrano's Last Supper (pictured) ended up in the museum's stores at some point during the 20th century, possibly when the Cathedral was damaged by fire in the 1964. Click on the link above to see images of the other elements which appear to be rather damaged.
Rubens Medici Cycle to be Restored by Louvre
March 25 2026
Picture: Louvre
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news from Paris that the Louvre has announced that it will conserve and restore the famous Medici Cycle by Rubens. The 24 paintings are expected to be off view for approximately 4 years while the work takes place.
According to the article linked above:
While the cycle may lack the same recognition held by the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and other treasures held by the Louvre, these Rubens paintings are some of the key works of their time. But despite their fame, the paintings are currently be exhibited in an “unsatisfactory state,” according to the Louvre, whose 2016 analysis triggered an internal investigation into the works. In 2020, upon further research, experts with the Louvre expressed “grave concern” about the works, the museum said.
“The works are no longer in a suitable state for display,” the museum said. “Specifically, the varnishes have generally yellowed (due to oxidation), and retouching from earlier restorations has become visually discordant—and therefore visible—detracting from the proper appreciation and interpretation of the paintings.”
The Louvre will now remedy this, turning the gallery into what it described as a “restoration studio” where its team can refurbish the works once more.
Secret Lives of Paintings at Stourhead
March 25 2026
Video: Stourhead via Instagram
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Stourhead in Wiltshire, the country home of the Hoare family which is run by The National Trust, have just opened a temporary exhibition dedicated to discoveries made during the conservation of some of their paintings. The video above details recent work undertaken on an early view of the famous park there.
Bellini San Giobbe altarpiece to be restored 'live' in the Venice Accademia
March 24 2026
Picture: artnet.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Venice that Giovanni Bellini's San Giobbe altarpiece will undergo a two-year conservation project. As the painting is too fragile to move, the work will be undertaken behind glass in public view at the Gallerie dell’ Accademia.
To quote the article linked above:
According to the museum, the San Giobbe altarpiece—full name: Madonna and Child Enthroned, Music-Making Angels and Saints Francis, John the Baptist, Job, Dominic, Sebastian and Louis of Toulouse (c. 1478)—is set to receive the most comprehensive restoration of its more than 500-year history. The problems are fundamentally two-fold. First, the painting bears long cracks across its surface due to temperature fluctuations causing the wood to expand and contract. Second, the painting’s original pigments have changed color over the centuries.
The two-year project will initially see experts stabilize the painting’s wooden support. At the same time, Bellini’s altarpiece will be analyzed using ultraviolet fluorescence and infrared imaging to reveal the artist’s original composition and the effects of previous restorations (there have been half a dozen since the early 19th century). Only then will the painting be cleaned, using gentle solvents to remove dirt and old varnish, touched up with compatible and revesible pigments, and protected with a new stable varnish.
Schongauer's Madonna of the Rose Bower being Conserved
March 23 2026
Picture: wikipedia
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The German news site dw.com have published some photographs of the restoration of Martin Schongauer's Madonna of the Rose Bower. The painting, which is owned by the Dominican Church in Colmar, France, is being restored for an exhibition in the Louvre at some point in the near future. As the restoration is taking place in the church, visitors to the building will be able to watch the process live in action.
Portland Collection Cleans Antwerp Picture for Exhibition
March 20 2026
Picture: Portland Collection
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Harley Museum, the home of the Portland Collection, have just today opened their latest re-vamped permanent exhibition entitled The World's Mine Oyster - Art, Nature and Collecting the Globe which will run until 8th April 2029. The redisplay has included this recently conserved view of Antwerp, a painting which has apparently never been on public display.
According to their website:
Built up over 400 years by the Cavendish family and their descendants, The Portland Collection is vast and varied. The World’s Mine Oyster: Art, Nature and Collecting the Globe explores the stories behind the collection for the first time, revealing how the Cavendish family saw and used the natural world, both at home and across the world.
Clean the King's Pictures
March 18 2026
Picture: Royal Collection Trust
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Collection Trust are hiring a 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 is responsible for all conservation activities relating to the paintings displayed within the Royal residences as well for loans from the Paintings collection.
Immersing yourself in this fascinating collection, you will assess condition, carry out and document conservation treatments using the most appropriate methods and materials.
The job comes with a salary of £35,000 per annum and applications must be in by 12th April 2026.
Good luck if you're applying!
Restoring Portraits at the Galleria Colonna
March 18 2026
Picture: @galleriacolonna via Instagram
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Galleria Colonna in Rome have been sharing some interesting photographs on Instagram of the restoration of portraits of Isabella Gioeni Colonna With Her Son Lorenzo Onofrio and Marcantonio V by Pietro Novelli. The portrait of Isabella has just been completed and put on display in the palace so that visitors can see the results. Follow their Instagram account to keep up to date with this campaign of restoration.
Venus and Cupid by Rubens being cleaned by Thyssen-Bornemisza
March 17 2026
Picture: Thyssen-Bornemisza via 'X'
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid have teased some mid-clean photos on 'X' of Rubens' Venus and Cupid, a copy of the famous Titian which had been in the Spanish Royal collections. I'm sure the museum will publish more about the conservation project in due course!
Upcoming Release: Titian & Save Venice - Conserving Six Masterpieces
March 12 2026
Picture: Save Venice
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Venetian conservation organisation Save Venice are releasing a new book next month detailing the restoration of six Titians which they have supported over the years. The publication was edited by Dr. Davide Gasparotto and Dr. Gabriele Matino.
According to their website:
During his career, Titian produced some of the most innovative paintings of his time, becoming the most celebrated Italian painter in Europe. Since 1971, Save Venice has supported the restoration of many of his masterpieces, including "Saint Mark Enthroned" (Basilica della Salute), the "Assumption of the Virgin" and the "Madonna di Ca’ Pesaro" (Basilica dei Frari), the "Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple" (Gallerie dell’Accademia), the "Annunciation" at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and the "Annunciation" in the Malchiostro Chapel in Treviso Cathedral. Funded by Save Venice with the support of Christopher Todd Page, this volume presents discoveries from these conservation campaigns, offering new insights into Titian’s creative process and technique, and publishing previously unseen details from the Save Venice photographic archive, alongside reflections by conservators and leading scholars.
El Greco in the mirror: two paintings in dialogue at the Castel Gandolfo
March 11 2026
Picture: villepontificie.va
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Vatican Museums are opening a new exhibition at the Castel Gandolfo on Saturday (14th March) dedicated to the recent conservation of a painting by El Greco of the Redeemer, a work which was gifted to Pope Paul VI in 1967. The work had previously been covered by extensive and poor quality overpainting. Research has also revealed two other compositions underneath the paint surface. It will be displayed alongside a St Francis by the same artist.
Scientific Investigations of Rosalba Carriera's Pastels
March 10 2026
Video: Save Venice
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Save Venice have published the following video providing some behind the scenes access of recent scientific investigations of pastels by Rosalba Carriera undertaken at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice.
According to their YouTube video post:
At the center of the research are thirteen portraits—nine by Rosalba and four attributed to her school—executed in pastel on blue paper. These notably fragile and delicate materials make any type of conservation treatment particularly complex.
To address this challenge, the Accademia is undertaking a comprehensive program of investigations to determine how to best safeguard and treat these remarkable pieces. The results of the research will guide the conservation of Rosalba’s pastels in Venice and provide an opportunity for discussion and comparison for other museum institutions and restorers who may face similar issues.
Support from Save Venice makes this work possible, funding the scientific analysis, the acquisition of a new ER-FTIR Spectrometer, the involvement of three young researchers specialized in conservation chemistry and diagnostics, and consultation with leading pastel conservators from the U.K. and Switzerland.
Michelangelo's Last Judgement Up Close
March 2 2026
Video: @Vaticanmuseums
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Vatican Museums have published this rather pleasing video of the continuing conservation of Michelangelo's Last Judgement. The details, made possible by a scaffold, are quite spectacular to admire even in this short segment.
Luigi Amidani Conserved in Parma
March 2 2026
Picture: finestresullarte.info
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Italy that Luigi Amidani's Madonna and Child with Saints Francis of Assisi, Agnes and Genesius, in the collection of the Pilotta Monumental Complex in Parma, has been conserved. Painted in 1619, possibly for the Parma church of Santa Maria, the work was transferred to the Accademia in 1816 and later the National Gallery of Parma.
El Greco's Martyrdom of Saint Maurice to be Restored
February 27 2026
Video: El Debate
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Here's a video showing the transportation of El Greco's The Martyrdom of Saint Maurice from the Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial near Madrid to conservation studios ready for treatment. This latest campaign of restoration, undertaken by Rafael Alonso, is expected to take several months before its redisplay and eventual return to the monastery.
Donatello's Bronze Doors Restored
February 27 2026
Video: alanews
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Italy that Donatello's bronze doors, part of the fixtures of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, have been restored. Commissioned by the Medici between 1440-42, the work was undertaken by Opificio delle Pietre Dure.
Prado Conserve Van Orley
February 25 2026
Video: Prado via Instagram
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Prado in Madrid have published the following video on their Instagram page regarding the recent restoration of Bernaert van Orley's The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John.
