Perspective Special: Preserving an Italian Masterwork

Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould head to a church in the heart of the Lancastrian countryside that may be the home to a work by a 16th-century old master, Francesco Montemezzano.
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#Painting #Art #History

[@slowerpicker]

The conservation of the painting almost deserves its own show. The way that the team managed to reduce the seams in the canvas to mere traces is a mighty achievement.

[@Quark.Lepton]

Pip Pip old Bean!

[@louisegogel7973]

That would be a fascinating program for sure!

[@johnberkley6942]

I recommend Julian Baumgartner's channel. He's a restorer who has a fascinating bunch of videos on everything to do with art restoration. A lot of his videos go into the nitty gritty of how repairs are best undertaken, and none of it is boring!

[@annabellelee4535]

@@johnberkley6942 I was going to mention him~

[@annabellelee4535]

Julian Baumgartner, who is on KZbin, has come up with a way to almost completely remove any trace of seams. He is a fabulous art restorer here in the US.

[@stalkek]

None of the famous masters would need to be ashamed of such a picture. It’s superb.

[@StephBer1]

I obsessively watch Baumgartner Restoration on KZbin so I wasn't shocked by how beautifully the painting cleaned up but I was shocked by the intensity of colour. I wish all the old masters were cleaned like this. No wonder people living a grey and miserable life came to church to pray, not only for their spiritual health but for the beauty that must have surrounded them in church.

[@jessarain9917]

Beautifully written, and thank you for your insight.

[@tml9174]

:) I, too, obsessively watch Baumgartner and at the beginning when they were taking a look with some white spirits, I kept thinking 'Julian would be appalled at doing such a large test area! And over a face! Julian would have been much more careful and as they don't own that picture, they should have been, too!'

[@pdruiz2005]

If you’ve ever been to Venice, grey and ugly skies are not a common thing down there. Maybe a bit during the winter. But during the summer, the city just bursts with colors under the Mediterranean sun. I’ve been to Venice in August and those were some of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever beheld in my life. 🤗

[@karenv525]

It's so beautiful now it's clean, I especially love the blue color of the robe and it's folds, just gorgeous. How happy the church folk must be to be able to see their lovely picture restored to its full glory.

[@quickdraw9648]

When that painting was cleaned I was shocked to see the details, such as the little building. Only at the end when it was up on the church wall, against the dark colors of the stone, did I gasp. Seriously vibrant painting!

[@chrisdeoni1697]

This MONTEMEZZANO can stand in a straight line next to the famous maestro's he learned from. It's a masterpiece beauty and detail. I shed a few tears of joy. BRAVO 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏!

[@elaineburnett5230]

Great Montenezzano!

[@Schlei602]

I shed tears, too.

[@spacehonky6315]

I expected it to be a sad copy of the work of "greater" men, but it's not. It's so moving. I could imagine myself contemplating this painting often when inside and outside this church. It was stolen from it's Italian audience and sold by Napoleon to a British congregation, and is now shown to the world via the internet. Mr.Mezzano succeeded beautifully!

[@MossyMozart]

I did not cry, but with the unveiling, I gasped!

[@pauladouglas9891]

The colors after cleaning are magnificient, especially the Virgin's robe.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

I was born in 1951 to a scientist/artist father and a mother who loved art. I grew up surrounded by art books which I dearly loved. Many were books of art from the Renaissance…this just delights me.

[@Luboman411]

At 49:21. Oh, wow!!! That is breathtaking!!! I've seen my share of Veronese paintings and other Venetian Old Masters here in the U.S.--there are lots at the Met Museum in NYC where I live and the National Gallery of Art down in DC where my parents live. So I totally get why Venetian paintings simply dance with colors. But this restoration is superb! There is that very same exuberant use of marvelous colors in this painting that this wee church is so fortunate to have! I am genuinely surprised at how well they restored this painting.

[@auntkaz815]

It was lovely to see this painting and its history come out of the dark. The restoration was amazing and I’m glad the true donor is known.

[@Mtlmshr]

The cleaning of the painting is absolutely amazing!

[@andyroo9381]

First time seeing this "Fake or Fortune" program. It was such an eye opener. I loved all of the layers to this broadcast and then the big reveal. Such a good way to learn about art, artists and history.

[@louisegogel7973]

Same here, first time and very impressed with all the educational layers this journey travelled through.

[@rodmact6548]

@@louisegogel7973 and @Andy Roo: Me too. Excellent documentary.

[@alex0589]

you need to go watch all of them, happy viewing!

[@jlasf]

This is the most painless way to get an art history lesson. I have watched most of the series and learned more about connoisseurship than in college art history classes. You will also enjoy the episodes when they find the work is fake or disputed. Each show is fascinating.

[@ciaobella8963]

Monte Mezzano is a mountain north of Prato which is a city quite close to Florence. During the Rennaissance and in earlier times, men and women were often given (sur)names of where they were born, like Leonardo Da Vinci. The town of Vinci is also close to Florence to its west. You can find Monte Mezzano on the map of Italy in Tuscany near Prato. This was a wonderful video, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@joseffinat966]

Vreemd deze naam maar ook weer niet Monte Mezzano ,Mon mijn? Mont Blanc= witte berg 🏔,Monte-Jus = toestel in fabrieken om sappen,Oliën,enz te laten stijgen ) je hebt ook nog Montessori- onderwijs naar het stelsel van Dr Maria Montessori,gebaseerd op vrije ontwikkeling naar aanleg ) Mezzano - Mezza of mezzo half; mezza voce: met gedempte stem; mezzo-sopraan: vrouwenstem tussen sopraan en ALT 😮; mezzo tinto: Halve of lichte schaduw .) Miasma, mv. Miasmen) ziekte-stof uit lucht 🌌,water of bodem.) Messias Mezzano hoeveel raakvlakken ( verbijstering alom) net als Max’Well, m. Eenheid van magnetische stroom 😅

[@joseffinat966]

Leonardo Da Vinci ( Le-on-ard-do-Da-vin-ci ( betekend min of meer ard-aard ( Da-daar-VIN-vind-ci-zij of hij of ( Leon-leeuw-aard-o Da-daar Vin-vind-ci-zij of hij ( Mona-Lisa ( Mon-mijn-a-lis-a ( Mo-na-li-sa ? ( Spelling

[@joseffinat966]

Mez-meet-zan-zoon -zan- kan ook zon op zijn dialect zeggen wij zunne--O ( meet kan ook ontmoeten betekenen ( Engels) dus meet zan O ( ontmoet zoon God=Omega ? O kan ook iets anders betekenen moet ik opzoeken

[@joseffinat966]

Lis kan ook een bloem aanduiden ( water lis of wat Van Gogh heeft geschilderd is volgens mij blauwe lissen ?

[@joseffinat966]

Florence- geeft het al beetje aan Bloemen

[@Ikantspell4]

Amazing what restoration can do. I am amazed at how art can be hidden. I have heard that sometimes the years of accumulation can actually protect the paint from sunlight dammage. This picture deserved the tender love and care it got because it's so well done. Bravo

[@Songbirdstress]

Yes! Back in the day they used to skin paintings, ie take off the top layer. The painting being neglected is actually a good thing.

[@SheriLynNut]

What a gift was twice bestowed upon this country church; the original masterpiece, and then more recently, the restoration of it. Very well done on those involved!

[@bethbartlett5692]

*The Painting just illuminates when re-hung in the Church, it belongs there. What a marvelous restoration and efforts of discovery.* A great story shared here.

[@WVgirl1959]

Yes, beautiful.

[@13minutestomidnight]

Even if they hadn't found anything at all, just the restoration itself would have made it all worthwhile. It's great that the entire congregation gets to share in it too, and see it as it was supposed to be seen.

[@DulceN]

How about actually researching where it was stolen from and being returned??? That would be the most magnificent ending to this episode.

[@13minutestomidnight]

@@DulceN What, give it back to the Catholic Church who owned it over two centuries ago? They kind of have enough art. Also, legal processes change over time as different people come into power and Napoleon took those paintings legally (he made it legal). You’d need to take into account all the different countries involved and what was legal at what time. You might want to ask yourself how meaningful it would be to start “returning” antiques to the genetic descendants of their previous owners (or inheritors of their organisation) two centuries later. That far back, the majority of antiques went through dubious legal situations, and all countries had been compulsively stealing and looting from each other since before the Romans - only in modern times was that legally prohibited. If you start forcefully changing an artwork’s ownership like that, are you “returning” it or just taking it from the current owners? Can anyone have a centuries-old antique taken from them if it happened to be stolen 300 years ago? Is that fair? Btw: They did try to research it; they just didn’t get far. They don’t even know the name of the painting so it’s a bit hard to research it, and the records only recorded prominent artworks that were taken by name.

[@bethbartlett5692]

@@DulceN If that's the fact, then so be it. It will be returned.

[@suziperret468]

Beautiful masterpiece! The colors, after it was cleaned, are rich and exquisite! Bravo to the team!

[@veramae4098]

The church is going to have to install some serious security! The colors glow like the stained glass window it's next to.

[@MossyMozart]

@@veramae4098 - I saw that, too.

[@stillwaterrocks1508]

This series is a real gift😀

[@unknown81360]

Its like art archeology, very fascinating!

[@louisegogel7973]

Arteology? I agree!

[@jadepaulsen8456]

Not like .it is.

[@henrietteterpstra5213]

I couldn’t believe it was the same painting. Absolutely brilliant. And so was the whole documentary. Art, history, love of perfection. Only in England you can have these villages with churches, still the aristocracy in semi palaces and above all, the beautiful countryside. What a delight. A ten!!!!

[@impunitythebagpuss]

Love this show Fake or Fortune! Such great investigations! Perfect cast of art historians and conservators.

[@karaamundson3964]

Finally...the big yes!! I love all the old grey dears in the congregation appreciating it at the end

[@Brutally-Honest]

My absolute favourite episode, suspense, mystery, beauty, travel, all mixed in a delightful show. THANK YOU.

[@kenttheboomer721]

Not an artsy guy, but this doco held my attention the whole way thru. Cheers!

[@guiart4728]

Unreal transformation…what a amazing adventure and I could really detect the disappointing necessity of traveling to Venice! My main comment as an artist myself is that the head was moved to improve the overall composition. I believe that the original position of the head would have made a crowded linear area. Dropping it down is so much more pleasing to my eye. Thanks for the wonderful show!!!

[@madArt1981]

I absolutely LOVE this show

[@craigsmith4105]

One of my favorite of this series...the painting will certainly be worth much more than that in near future.

[@rjlchristie]

Makes the gledes of one's heart glow to see such a decent class of chaps doing something useful. What ho, chins up, carry on.

[@SP_3333]

Thank you so much for all that your wonderful team has achieved in discovering the true origin of this priceless treasure. Fantastic teamwork.

[@Brutally-Honest]

This episode continues to fascinate me in so many ways.

[@tytn9978]

This is a wonderful who-dun-it, and also who-donated-it! Enjoyed the scenes from Venice, too! Hope the congregation cherishes this brilliantly coloured treasure.

[@kathrynpupos9103]

I so enjoyed following your journey uncovering the true history of this painting and the family connections. Thank you.

[@pierreramos3296]

This episode brought a smile to my face. Thanks a lot!!!

[@englishrose4388]

The transformation that painting was remarkable. I was hoping at the end for it to be put behind glass to preserve it into the future.

[@OPandemonium]

Fiona Bruce is so remarkable. She has beauty and charisma, but also empathy, curiosity, and a brilliant mind. I think she is, at heart, an artist like the maestros she teaches us about.

[@melanies.6030]

So fun to hear her converse in Italian in this episode. I wonder if she is fluent in other languages as well?

[@craigathonian]

What a wonderful show. Fiona once again blows me out of the water with her handel on the Italian language. My only concern is for the painting. It's nice and all to return it to the church, but what is the climate control of this building ? I suspect it is only heated for services, which means a lot of fluctuations, not good for a treasure such as this. Even a standard home would be so much better since this environment is at a constant average for human comfort year round.

[@Luboman411]

The climate control is the least of my worries. The church better take some insurance out, immediately. Now that it has been broadcast on national TV that a beautifully restored painting worth over 100,000 pounds sits in an isolated rural church with very minimal security, I can't imagine that some pilferer or other won't be tempted to take this to sell to an international buyer in the black market. The vicar and the old lady better be careful!

[@lenajesse]

@@Luboman411 I googled about this episode and apparently they did remove it from the church for security reasons back in 2015 or so, until they could solve how to keep it safe there...with one of those glass cases that museums have etc. But I couldn't find articles on how they solved that...

[@Quark.Lepton]

Indeed!

[@andycofin6983]

Not only that, but how is this church going to keep the painting secured, how can they afford it? Artwork thefts are way too prevalent with sales going through the black market resulting in the painting disappearing for many years, if it ever found. I’d prefer to sell it through a major auction house with the stipulation of having a replicated painting commissioned for the church.

[@Theater00jock]

I mean... In Italy these paintings hang in many churches with no security and no climate control. Especially in Venice, you enter a little church and see a Titian, a Bassano, etc. I tend to also agree with a desire to preserve things, but many think of these as devotional objects meant to be kept in religious spaces. It's certainly the case with many many pieces by old masters in Italy.

[@michaelguerin56]

Most enjoyable video. This painting is where it belongs, serving its original purpose in full splendour. Always something to learn. The joy of the locals is the greatest reward, I would imagine. Thank you.

[@us5634]

thank you for another marvelous program. It is wonderful that all of you have brought older works of art to life for the viewing public.

[@Gabriele-xk6zg]

Great restoration. Would have loved to hear more about the stained glass window, too.

[@cj-cw7wi]

Religious art isn't really my thing but this painting restored as it is - is glorious.

[@debl9957]

Love the investigative aspect of this program!

[@William-Marshall]

Absolutely lovely. I’m not a “gasper , therefore so surprised to have one emerge. The hunt is so interesting. Wonderful series. More than enjoyable.”

[@williamfindspeople4341]

Dead men want to be remembered. This was a wonderful journey. Thank you. 😊

[@kuldas9299]

Something I noticed in the comparisons is Montemzano's repeated renditions of slightly exaggerated forearm brachioradialis muscles. Maybe the model he used had a pronounced toning there or, more likely, a stylistic choice. Either way, an incredible who done it. Well done.

[@annabellelee4535]

Perhaps he used Gondoliers as models. They would have seriously muscled forearms from operating a gondola.

[@kuldas9299]

@@annabellelee4535 a good theory

[@toddmurphy523]

Job well done.....from the restoration, the research, the donor and the eventual certification of the artist. Again...job well done !

[@Luboman411]

At 43:07. Yay! The old lady was wrong! The painting was not war booty taken from the Spanish by some perfidious British soldier. It was very likely a legitimately purchased painting straight from Venice to Britain, and purchased by a vicar. Very civilized and proper. Huzzah!

[@eljanrimsa5843]

Perhaps the vicar was making up the story about to paint his no-good half brother in a better light

[@darlene2662]

A wonderful “who done it?!” Thank you for this delightful show.

[@SH-eb9hg]

That was absolutely fascinating, and totally sensational. Thank you so much for the brilliant work by all the team, and for sharing it with us.

[@Schlei602]

Wow, what a series. Am new here, am excited and as a fine artist myself and a museum guide this is very very interesting to me. Thanks and greetings from Northern Germany.

[@kaasycde]

Este programa esta buenísimo, como dicen los comentarios se aprende un montón sobre el mundo del arte, los artistas y sus relaciones sociales y económicas.

[@katherinecompton6591]

Just wonderful! First time I've caught this show, via KZbin, thank you all!

[@jockmoron]

Fascinating and very moving. I do hope this lovely old church in rural Lancashire, can afford to keep it, and keep it safe. Once cleaned, it was immediately apparent even to my inexpert eye that this was a high quality old master. There was absolutely nothing fake or second-rate about it. Perhaps it would be safer to commission a copy to hang in the church, and loan the original it to a secure museum say in Manchester.

[@kristoffermangila]

If the congregation wants this painting still there, they could put it in a bulletproof frame, and install security cameras around the church to monitor it.

[@stevie-ray2020]

@@kristoffermangila Doing that would certainly keep the insurance premiums down!

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

It’s been moved to a safe place until a way can be found to protect it in the church.

[@clicktock]

Speaking of Italian masterpieces, I have two words for Fake or Fortune, two Latin words - Salvator Mundi. The provenance of the one that sold for "$400 million." According to the Louvre, Leonardo da Vinci only contributed to the painting. Allegedly. I really wish Fake or Fortune could do a show to shed more light on Salvator Mundi's true provenance and ask the opinion of true Leonardo da Vinci experts. Can't wait. Oh, I have binge watched Fake or Fortune over the past few days. One of the best shows I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

[@cwavt8849]

Just discovered this channel. I love it. Thank you for opening a window on such a fascinating subject

[@13minutestomidnight]

... Dude, lesson for life: always get your paintings cleaned regularly (also, maybe put it behind glass if it's in a drafty church open to the elements - I heard "bats"). That restoration was simply amazing. All the details were completely smudged before. Cleaned, it really does look incredibly similar to those other Montemezzano paintings, but that Italian scholar was incredible to be able to see that past all the grime - and from a photo. A bit surprised the painting is only worth a hundred grand - seems low for a 400 year-old work like this, but I really know nothing about such things.

[@steamdespair9189]

Much of the damage was probably done before the use of electrical lights. Black soot disposition is terrible even in modern homes. Don't burn cheap candles.

[@Sleightman3D]

No kidding on the value. "Modern" artists chuck a bucket of pant at s canvas and its worth hundreds of millions. It shows how far our values have shifted in a negative way.

[@magmasunburst9331]

​@Gary Allen I believe Rothko was an alcoholic who committed suicide. It's strange how people like that are loved by the rich that have created such an underclass of homeless in addicted. True class can be defined as the quality of bestowing dignity upon others. That's the only kind of classy person there will ever be.

[@carolking6355]

This series is simply wonderful. Thank you. ❤

[@TriciaBridgesKoontz]

This was a wonderful art mystery story and so beautifully told!!

[@teresaborelli8075]

i like how they show much love for ART i wish i could help with this restoration

[@allanlamothe9908]

A Masterpiece of a Program! Thank you for this!!!

[@joewoodrum5160]

Thank you, this was a journey that I was glad to have seen. It is a beautiful painting. It is sad that these painting fall into such unkept states. Bless you.

[@LoudLin86]

Oh gosh this was a beautiful story to see unravel! I think I found my new favourite show to satisfying my detective / investigation / true crime need...! So much more exciting than crime shows 😅

[@stangondzar120]

ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT!!!

[@nelltaylor8171]

Breathtaking restoration! ❤

[@lourdescisneros6768]

Outstanding work. Thank you so much.

[@readMEinkbooks]

How many languages can Fiona Bruce speak? We've seen her speak French and Italian so far.

[@steamdespair9189]

And English... lol

[@St.Linguini_of_Pesto]

@@steamdespair9189 well, well, well.. if it isn't the Captain themself. Thank you, would've never figured that out.

[@St.Linguini_of_Pesto]

I love her on AR-UK. Good host, very attentive when speaking with the guests regarding their items.

[@dumbbunnie123]

I can't believe that they left that little square, on the virgins dress, dirty . All that wonderful restoration and they left that.Its like painting a beautiful smile and leaving out a front tooth!

[@williammatthews4491]

beautiful painting.luminous.

[@susanpallister8037]

What a stunningly beautiful painting and restoration. Gorgeous. How well it fits back in its church.

[@maiathebee410]

great episode... love learning about the family dynamics and napoleonic history too

[@marlenesabiooliva7667]

So beautiful and wonderful! God bless on your documentary!

[@tommuscatello5999]

What a great video. "Scratch the surface and go beneath the dirt." Love it.

[@pattiwhite9575]

Amazing Restoration! It pops now. So beautiful.

[@donastrong6240]

Loved every minute of this!!

[@annes4213]

So breathtakingly beautiful after restoration!!! Love 💕this program and definitely subscribed.

[@vhemingson]

Brilliant episode. One of the best.

[@sidroik]

Superbly interesting. Thank you for sharing.

[@Luboman411]

At 4:50. Is it another painting stolen from the Spanish when the Brits liberated Spain from Napoleon between 1809 to 1815? I just watched another show where a British aristocrat went on a trip to Spain between those years in the Duke of Wellington's camp and came back loaded with pilfered masterpieces taken from the Spanish, including a likely Titian. (Spanish aristocrats and churches were so rich in the 1500s that they were the main foreign market for Italian Old Masters, like Titian and Tintoretto. Spain was thus thick with Old Masters before 1815.) So it's more of the same. I love how the old lady said the benefactor of the church simply "found" this painting during a war. Dear, sweet lady--that's not how any of this works. At all. Soldiers don't magically "find" valuable paintings during a war. LOL. Poor, naive woman...

[@mjinba07]

Yeah, the story that the painting was donated by Richard Toulmin North needn't be ruled out. He could have procured it and given it to his half brother, knowing Needham's love of that period in art and their joint association with the church. Could have had a number of reasons. The most likely explanation isn't always exclusive, and Needham's lacking purchase documentation raises a question. "Legend" often turns out to have elements of truth.

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

I must admit I did a 'Yeah, right' when she said he 'found' it. We Brits were exceptionally good at 'finding' things Or even 'rescuing' them, because those damn natives were neglecting them. Oddly, when Napoleon and Hitler were doing the same thing, they were 'looting' or even 'stealing' Notice Napoleon 'stole' those paintings, but if the church painting was one of them, no one mentioned the benefactor handling stolen goods! Gotta love us Brits, we can always justify our crimes and usually make sure that they were actually for the common good!

[@Jo_Kuiper]

What a great transformation did the cleaning/restoration to that masterpiece.

[@tiahummel-hody4096]

An absolute fabulous revelation. I believe it is where it belongs. What a wonderful journey you took us on. It is an amazing painting. Thank you for sharing your passions with us so that we can come along for the adventure.

[@Jillaneaj]

This was fascinating. So many different pieces to put together. I enjoyed this so much. Thank you

[@andreacc7795]

Fantastic program and beautiful art now restored

[@Ronen-Homeopathy]

Beautiful program ! fascinating. Thank you

[@cherryllcooper679]

Loved this! I thought I’d seen all of the Bendor episodes.

[@Lambert7785]

well done - certainly a fine painting, nice to see it restored

[@bernie4799]

Fiona Bruce - the jewel of the BBC

[@doreenlloyd4885]

So beautiful.

[@Kardall]

over 12k paintings... kept 1.2k wow.... That is absolute insane numbers. My heart started to sink when the lady said, "Selected" them, and immediately thought... anything that didn't meet Napoleons standards would be destroyed...

[@jeffpetrie7744]

Phenomenal episode! Thank you. 😃

[@PhyllisGeorgic]

And I love this painting.

[@debdunster5471]

WOW.... amazing find and history.

[@jasonking6892]

I hope the church has good insurance and Security.. Wonderful show Bravissimo 👍🇬🇧🇮🇹

[@carolelerman9686]

Good work guys !

[@melodymacken9788]

Brilliant, brilliant and brilliant.

[@brahmburgers]

Thoroughly enjoyable. I watched it all. Thanks!

[@lalaLAX219]

A beautiful work!

[@evelynzak8454]

‘Pollution of the Faithful’ …I will never forget that line! Lol

[@marianleblanc130]

Thank you so much it is so enjoyable to learn about the art work 😘🇨🇦

[@tamaraheater9695]

Fascinating!!

[@kerrykrishna]

What an entertaining hour of my time. Thanks so much for uploading this.

[@janibeg3247]

charming countryside