Masterpieces of European Painting from the Norton Simon Museum
February 10 through May 10, 2009
The Cleaning of a Masterpiece
Overview | Radiograph | Before Treatment | Varnish | After Conservation | Podcast
The yellowed varnish and broad, transparent overpaint had darkened the citrons and oranges and blurred Zurbarán’s exquisite depiction of the rough texture of the skins. The wood inlays in the corners of the table’s surface had been painted over mistakenly during a previous restoration and the placement of the artist’s signature was difficult to discern. The treatment involved removal of old, discolored varnish and conservation.
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Francisco de Zurbarán’s Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose of 1633. Photograph of the painting before treatment.
Software courtesy of Magic Toolbox.
The Cleaning of a Masterpiece photography courtesy of The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated publication with an essay by Sara Campbell, Senior Curator, the Norton Simon Museum, as well as in-depth catalogue entries by Margaret Iacono, Assistant Curator, The Frick Collection. The softcover publication is available in the Museum Shop of the Frick, and by phone 212-288-0700.
Principal funding for Masterpieces of European Painting from the Norton Simon Museum is provided by Melvin R. Seiden in honor of Colin B. Bailey. Major corporate support is provided by Fiduciary Trust Company International. Additional support is generously provided by the Thaw Charitable Trust and Mr. and Mrs. John P. Birkelund. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
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