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Mysterious Art Restoration Stories that Made History: ‘The Last Supper’ and more!
- TERAVARNA
- Jun 13
- 6 min read
We see the artworks by renowned artists and masters in galleries and museums, but we hardly get to know what goes behind the preservation of these artworks or how they survive the test of time!
We admire the works of the master artists, but we cannot see the people working to keep those masterpieces in top shape. They remain behind the glass walls.
Behind every captivating portrait or restored sculpture, every ancient fabric of the canvas that still looks vibrant, there lie the caring hands of the restorers.
They are like the care-givers, historians, archivists, and artists all in one, working in museums, auction houses, private collections or saving family heirlooms from further damage.
Apart from the art preservation services they provide like painting revival, sculpture repair, etc. these restorers invest their precious time to give these immortal pieces a second life!
In this blog, we’ll go through some of the intriguing and complex art restoration story of all times like ‘The Last Supper’ by Leonardo da Vinci, the ‘Sistine Chapel Ceiling’ by Michelangelo, the ‘Night Watch’ by Rembrandt, or the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan Van Eyck, etc. to see how these guardians of art save them from turning into mere ghosts of the masterpieces!
The Second Life: The Moment Art Needs to be Saved!
Why do old artworks or sculptures need real life art restoration?
Artworks can get damaged due to human activities, environmental factors like flood, fire, or mold, or due to aging with time.
Proper restoration techniques can increase the value of your work! It feels great to have the old canvases look like the new ones, without a scratch or glitch.
Restoration: A Promise to Keep Things in Shape!
The process and art conservation techniques are complex, with a range of activities like fine brushing, cleaning, stabilizing, or minute reconstructing of damaged pieces.
It’s not all about the brushes or chemicals, it begins with a promise – a promise to keep the works in top shape, to protect what remains and to touch up areas where it is absolutely necessary.
Overdoing or using harsh chemicals and hard brushes can ruin the original paint layers and finer details. A ruined botched art restoration attempt can even deteriorate or damage the integrity and originality of the artwork, making it worse!
So, the goal is to know how artworks are restored to preserve the cultural heritage in its original shape and form.
What Went Wrong with ‘The Last Supper’ of Leonardo da Vinci?
This is one of the iconic Renaissance frescoes by Leonardo da Vinci created between 1495 to 1498, now resting in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.
Some previous restoration attempts and environmental factors caused much harm to this marvelous creation until a complex & meticulous artwork preservation project finally revealed what was hidden under a layer of dirt and neglect in 1999.
There were several factors that caused the harm –
The tempera paint layers used in the painting started flaking over time.
There were other factors like poor environmental conditions and damage during the Second World War, etc.
It took 20 years to have the original gloss and glaze of the mural restored by a team of professionals. They used advanced restoration techniques to remove the layers of dust and varnish from the previous restoration attempt.
Though there is a huge controversy regarding the amount of intervention to restore the original colors & look in the fresco, or the freedom to add new materials, this is surely a commendable work of rescue!
How was the Restoration Done?
The expert team used complex techniques like ‘infrared reflectoscopy’ to know the painting's condition.
It was meticulous work to recover the previous layer of color retouches and varnish. Color beige was added to the places where retouch were needed for this prolific work of 500 years.
‘The Night Watch’ of Rembrandt: Visitors Watched the Restoration Process Firsthand!
Something remarkable happened while restoring the marvelous Dutch masterpiece ‘The Night Watch’ created in 1692. It is one of the largest paintings by Rembrandt Van Rijn, showcasing the Baroque art tenebrism (light & shadow) drama of the Dutch Golden era.
Some outer part of the large canvas was trimmed off in order to fit the painting through the doorway in the Amsterdam Town Hall in 1715.
The painting faced many challenges like vandalism and neglect, including an assault on the painting by knife by an angry man in 1975 for when he was refused an entry to the prestigious Rijksmuseum the day before.
Another incident happened in 1990 when it was doused in acid. Fortunately, the acid could only corrode the upper layer of varnish and saved it from further damage.
Operation Night Watch: A New-Age Oil Painting Restoration and Cleaning Started in 2019
The ‘Operation Night Watch’ project was undertaken in 2019 to ensure safe and careful handling of the damaged areas, using advanced digital imaging techniques & AI analysis.
The most remarkable aspect of this painting revival was that the project allowed visitors to witness the meticulous process of recovery firsthand at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The finer reconstruction involved rubbing the varnish away with micro-fiber cloth soaked in chemical and the remnants of the fibers were scanned scrupulously under a microscope!
Some Fascinating Restoration Discoveries of ‘The Ghent Altarpiece’ by Jan & Hubert Van Eyck
A priceless and magnificent creation of the Northern Renaissance, ‘The Ghent Altarpiece’ or ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ kept in the Saint Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, underwent several restoration spells throughout history.
Created in 1492 by Jan Van Eyck the much-talked-of painting has been recovered more than once while being stolen, dismantled, and moved during the two world wars. During World War II, it was hidden in a salt mine in Austria!
Mind-blowing Discoveries of the Mystic Lamb
A fascinating discovery was made in the 1823’s restoration relating to the artist's information, while an inscription revealed the name of one more creator, Hubert Van Eyck, and his contribution to creating the altarpiece.
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, the other name for the Ghent Altarpiece, revealed disturbing humanized eyes of the lamb in the central panel, which raised much controversy.
From 2012 to 2019, major and periodic restoration was carried on, removing some over-painted portions of the previous restorations. (Research showed that more than 70% of the outer panels were masked due to previous over-painting).
The preservation of the upper panel is still going on to retrieve the priceless and valuable art pieces.
Some evidence shows that the altarpiece work was first undertaken by Hubert Van Eyck and later joined by his brother Jan, who was more famous as a painter.
It was no doubt a challenge to rescue portions of the massive altarpiece, demanding much dedication and expertise of the restorers. Through such meticulous antique painting restoration projects, art historians, restorers and a team of analysts try to unscramble mysteries related to such grand creations and reveal more truth about their immortal creators.
Revealing Museum Behind the Scenes: The Changing Art Restoration Story
This painstaking act of preservation is not about perfection, it is more about the emotion and affection the restorers have for the past, for the creators, and the creation itself.
And, like all other things, the art restoration techniques are also changing with time embracing more analytical, precise, laser & digital imaging techniques like morphing, data scanning, and artificial intelligence. It is no longer confined to scalpel and brushes to rub off the paints and dirt.
So, the next time you witness an age-old masterpiece, think of the silent hands in work, the quiet labor of love behind the creation that often goes unnoticed – how the small patches and dots help the art breathe again!
Think of a restorer’s studio smelling of turpentine, where someone prepares to give an ailing masterpiece a second life!
