Restoration tragedy
The Biblical story of the Jewish widow Judith, who seduces the Asyrian king Nebuchadnezer's general Holofernes, then beheads him while he is drunk, has been depicted by some of the finest artists in the history of the genre. These include Donatello,...
The Biblical story of the Jewish widow Judith, who seduces the Asyrian king Nebuchadnezer's general Holofernes, then beheads him while he is drunk, has been depicted by some of the finest artists in the history of the genre. These include Donatello, Botticelli, Mantegna, Giorgione, Cranach the Elder, Titian, Vernet, Gustav Klimt, Artemisia Gentileschi, Jan Sanders van Hemessen, Hermann-Paul and, of course; Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. However, it is the work by Valentin de Boulogne that we refer to in the header, although on reflection it was probably only a tragedy for poor old Holofernes.
Valentin de Boulogne was a French Caravaggesque painter active in Rome from about 1612. About 50 works are attributed to him and the painting at the National Museum of Fine Arts is considered to be one of his most mature.
The recently restored oil painting of Valentin's masterpiece is currently on show in the Contemporary Hall at the National Museum of Fine Arts in South Street, Valletta, unti August 14. The painting will eventually be moved to the Caravaggisti hall in the upper floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts.
The delicate restoration work was carried out by members of Heritage Malta's conservation division.
Well aware of the national and international significance of this painting, demanding exclusive attention, the conservation team adopted the requisite multidisciplinary approach that enabled the comprehensive implementation of this project.
Primarily coordinated and executed by Anthony Spagnol from the Paintings Conservation Department, this project, which took 12 months to complete, was also dependent on the support of the Documentation Section, Diagnostic Science Laboratories, the Conservation & Restoration Projects Management Office and the maintenance staff from the Estate Management and Security Department, together with the art historical research by the Fine Arts Department. Apart from the various disciplines within Heritage Malta, this team also consisted of select experts from the Rome-based Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR), as well as Caravaggisti scholars and art historians.
Restoration, which began in March 2006, was carried out at the Paintings Conservation Department at Heritage Malta's Conservation Division, Bighi, Kalkara. The conservation treatment itself was organised into different phases within which the paint surface, canvas support and auxiliary support system received their due hands-on attention. Apart from the painting, the conservation treatment of the decorative frame was carried out during the final phases of the project.
Upon completion of the restoration work, the painting was returned to the National Museum of Fine Arts last month.
Valentin de Boulogne was a French Caravaggesque painter active in Rome from about 1612. About 50 works are attributed to him and the painting at the National Museum of Fine Arts is considered to be one of his most mature.
The recently restored oil painting of Valentin's masterpiece is currently on show in the Contemporary Hall at the National Museum of Fine Arts in South Street, Valletta, unti August 14. The painting will eventually be moved to the Caravaggisti hall in the upper floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts.
The delicate restoration work was carried out by members of Heritage Malta's conservation division.
Well aware of the national and international significance of this painting, demanding exclusive attention, the conservation team adopted the requisite multidisciplinary approach that enabled the comprehensive implementation of this project.
Primarily coordinated and executed by Anthony Spagnol from the Paintings Conservation Department, this project, which took 12 months to complete, was also dependent on the support of the Documentation Section, Diagnostic Science Laboratories, the Conservation & Restoration Projects Management Office and the maintenance staff from the Estate Management and Security Department, together with the art historical research by the Fine Arts Department. Apart from the various disciplines within Heritage Malta, this team also consisted of select experts from the Rome-based Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR), as well as Caravaggisti scholars and art historians.
Restoration, which began in March 2006, was carried out at the Paintings Conservation Department at Heritage Malta's Conservation Division, Bighi, Kalkara. The conservation treatment itself was organised into different phases within which the paint surface, canvas support and auxiliary support system received their due hands-on attention. Apart from the painting, the conservation treatment of the decorative frame was carried out during the final phases of the project.
Upon completion of the restoration work, the painting was returned to the National Museum of Fine Arts last month.