Cleaning the 'Lost Altarpiece' that was found in a woodshed | Art Restoration | National Gallery

Britta New and Nelly von Aderkas discuss the cleaning of a Renaissance altarpiece that was hidden in an Italian wood store for many years.
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00:00-02:23 What is it like to work in conservation?
02:24-06:50 Conservation treatment
06:51-10:08 Conservation history
10:09-12:13 Gilding
12:14-13:59 Conclusion
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The National Gallery houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The museum is free of charge and open 361 days per year, daily between 10.00 am - 6.00 pm and on Fridays between 10.00 am - 9.00 pm.
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[@cstz]

Great video as always, and I really like this format, with the easy, almost casual talk as they work. Thank you!

[@watchmedo635]

Beautiful work as always. I can imagine the artists smiling seeing their work restored to its original beauty

[@orlando1a1]

This 'Lost Altarpiece' by Matteo di Giovanni really is a painting that reveals, more and more, as you begin to study it, and will look stunning when the restoration is completed. It is a remarkable painting of great accomplishment.

[@LieslHuddleston]

I always enjoy watching these restoration videos, thank you for sharing them.

[@jonrettich4579]

I’ve commented before how impressed I am by the extremely creative and capable restorers. I suspect they are technically and mechanically far more knowledgeable than any individual artist. And they would almost certainly be in a position to assess style and method that created the works. I hope they publish on they’re intimate acquired knowledge. Thank them and thank you for the series

[@jimherrmann29]

Thank you for sharing these "behind the scenes" videos. As a painter, they are fascinating and enlightening!

[@susanhepburn6040]

Thank you so much for all your hard work. Beautiful!

[@victoriabarclay3556]

When you brought out the subjects with the white spirit I gasped. It felt 3 dimensional and magical

[@ulaff]

There is definitely a bit of an audience for these types of videos. I've gotten in the habit of watching painting conservations.

[@fainatselnik267]

Enigmatic painting and beautiful restoration work - intelligent conversation to accompany such an artful preservation. Thank you and hoping for more.

[@castlegate2015]

I like that lady's style.

[@ginalou5774]

Such an amazing job to do and you must be so talented

[@nikkamcgahan227]

I love listening to these restoration videos because its unintentional asmr

[@toddtyrrell]

I love these restoration insights, wonderful.

[@megwolff58]

Can't believe the wonderful condition of this piece, given its age and history. Thanks for sharing this online.

[@Neil-Aspinall]

I think it amazing that painters 400 years ago somehow chose paints and canvases that stood the test of time, they could not have possibly known this?

[@ronpuddu7676]

Super interesting. More please. rp

[@rickaust5887]

It was so a absorbing to listen to. Wonderful!

[@abdelkadersefraoui]

It's always wonderful to see paintings beings cleaned. Just incredible work, thank you for this

[@peteannells4218]

Thank you for this excellent discussion. Would it be possible to exhibit such paintings with flickering (fake candle) light ? I realise that there are health and safety considerations but they manage in theatres withsuitable warnings. Perhaps a limited 'performance time' during the day.

[@janemorrow6672]

What a truly wonderful idea.

[@itkapatanka]

I like that the room is painted that mid blue grey. Must be important for the eye when looking at colors?

[@grokeffer6226]

Beautiful !!

[@algernonwolfwhistle6351]

Lovely job.

[@lollopuz]

Such an interesting and stimulating video. Relaxing too. Great job by all the people involved. :-)

[@henrycastle1]

I am not relaxing, but I love this sort of thing ❤️

[@favouritemoon4133]

Thank you for recording this discussion and making a slightly longer video than you usually do. I think there's a huge appetite for videos of people restoring works of art [judging by the views Julian Baumgartner gets]

[@stinew358]

I've been in plenty of woodsheds and I would have definitely noticed an altarpiece

[@dcaudinmj1321]

Beautiful😍❤❤❤

[@janeknight3597]

I am really looking forward to seeing this. Do you know when it will be on display??

[@kenc2257]

Amazing. Very much appreciate listening in on their conversation--so informative and insightful.

[@jacobbwalters8133]

The lumps appear to be caused by exposure to fire. My mother has an antique chest that has been passed down through the family. After a fire several generations back it gained a similar texture in the varnish.

[@Audrey.1]

Thank you 🙏 for these videos so educational! I love them. One day I hope to visit

[@nationalgallery]

We hope to see you in the Gallery one day, Audrey!

[@joealtmaier9271]

Educational story! I'm surprised it wasn't darker to begin with. An 'altarpiece' might have spent years in a church. Smoke from candles might have been a big issue at some time? The bumps - if it's not from below (not part of the board), and not an accumulated crust, then it may be something that collected in the pigment, absorbed from the air? Perhaps components of the wax that leeched into the pigment and swelled? Did the pigment contain egg, and the lecithin combined with something?

[@randolphfriend8260]

❤

[@PeterPaul175]

So, why cant we see the finished result?

[@Johnmartin-vz7yc]

When did we start varnishing paintings?

[@ChrisMulzerBerlin]

The lumps look very much like blisters which form on a painting during a fire…

[@Divertedflight]

Are the lumps, lead or some other metal soap aggregates?

[@carlosvagner5721]

Taubaté de Taubaté 🏡🇧🇷🇺🇲

[@deozeo4442]

What an absolute wonderful piece of thought went into this creation by Giovanni. And to be able to reanimate those thoughts with each passage of a swab. Extraordinary. I am perplexed however with the inability to identify the "bumps". Is it a lack of funds to aquire sampling analysis? Certainly the technology exists, such as optical microscopy in combo w/ laser spectroscopics, to identify these "bumps" as carbon-based or not (i.e. dirt chemistry based...inorganic chemistry). What comes after that...would not begin to venture a guess. However, as Lao-tze expresses, "a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Well done...hugs to you both in restoring this (and other) piece(s) for our and the future generations to absorb its beautiful energy. Thank you! 🐈

[@douglasgraebner1831]

I'm not sure either, but they were talking about samples so my assumption was that the plan is to conduct further research on the bumps and just were still in the process of sampling?

[@giovannidepetris6335]

Why is this masterpiece in England when Italy has excellent restorers?

[@annwilliams6438]

Why do the cleaners at the national gallery just wipe all over the different colours? Each colour will have a different stability.