What we discovered beneath the frame | Restoring Botticelli part 1 of 3 | National Gallery

This content was filmed in 2019.
Go behind the scenes in Conservation with Restorer Jill Dunkerton and Conservator Britta New as they remove the frame from Sandro Botticelli and Filippino Lippi's 'Adoration of the Kings'.
This video is part 1 of 2 of restoring this painting.
Part 2/3: • Retouching a Renaissan...
Part 3/3: • A scientific investiga...
Learn more about the painting
🎨 'Adoration of the Kings'
Website link: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/pa...
Learn more about the artists
🎨 Sandro Botticelli
Website link: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/ar...
🎨. Filippino Lippi
Website link: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/ar...
Subscribe to our channel and never miss a video: bit.ly/1HrNTFd
Follow us on social media:
Like the National Gallery on Facebook: / thenationalgallery
Follow the National Gallery on Twitter: / nationalgallery
Follow the National Gallery on Instagram:
/ nationalgallery
Help keep the museum accessible for everyone by supporting us here: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/su...
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.
Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN
www.nationalgallery.org.uk

[@oxnyxws]

It's always lovely to see two people who really enjoy a job working together and getting more than they hoped.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

I fell in love with Botticelli as a child. This was a joy to watch.

[@kevinchan9936]

The series of videos on conversation is great. Keep up the good work Professor Jill!

[@condorboss3339]

The thought of working with such a priceless piece of art is frightening.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

I must confess as you revealed the top, I had tears in my eyes!

[@bottegadelloscuro]

I absolutely love this aspect of art: conservation, restoration and so on. It’s so unbelievably interesting for someone who loves, as I do, art and is also a painter, as I am.

[@viktoriaviktoria2963]

It's nice to see how happy you are at work. I'm waiting for the second part!

[@eugeneaniar7232]

Omg... they are so lucky imagine they spent days upclose looking at a classical treasure which people have to wait in line. Awesome!!!

[@MultiShinypants]

Thanks for sharing this. Watched with excitement. Great job, well done!

[@earl-grey-milk-tea]

i love these! i could listen to conservators talk all day and the top of that painting was wonderful to see... my only complaint is please make them longer!

[@blairmclaughlin6918]

Brilliant. Love this video format. Straight to the juice no fluff

[@steevemartial4084]

It's a pleasure to see the excitement and the passion of Jill Dunkerton when the painting is uncovered. I'm also a bit jealous of Britta New who is so intimate with these objects that she knows what sounds you get when removing a centuries-old frame and why.

[@ProjectDystopia]

That was really satisfying, I loved seeing the previously covered top portion of the painting.

[@MaverickSeventySeven]

Art - writing, music and painting - reflects the SOUL of a Nation, it is the direct channel to it. That a painting can survive 500 years or more says it all giving immense and incalculable pleasure and upliftment! So well done the National Gallery and its restorers.

[@Ceorolus]

The extra perspective view changes the whole painting for the better. Well done!

[@Ursaminor31]

In Florence there are still frame makers that dedicate their craft to gilding and such. It’s magical to see the shop windows in the Altrano

[@Geraldine76]

What an immensely satisfying job they both have.

[@murraykriner9425]

Can fully comprehend the National Museum's apprehensions involving a preservation of a work this age & its consigned value, having come from the Artist of such note. Many framer's heart's must have been in their throats' after having seen the previous workers' efforts to apply a suitable artifice for hanging such a remarkable painting. Thankfully all came free without causing many of the usual concern's associated with conservation's of this age, as what varnishes that may have been used hadn't cemented underlying colors and final finish to the frame that lay atop it. Hope future content will be made available for those with any interest in this particular paintings' care. Thank you.

[@herrbrucvald6376]

19C: let's just cover up part of this Renaissance masterpiece w a frame. 21C: seriously??

[@rickaust5887]

Fantastic. I can definitely understand the emotional reaction. I can't wait to see the fully restored version.

[@Pshady]

That was awesome to see what was behind the frame

[@anaj3145]

Excellent job ladies! ❤️

[@cstz]

Their enthusiasm makes me happy! I love these videos, I hope you continue making them. Thank you for content that actually has meaning, and is so enjoyable at the same time!

[@nationalgallery]

Hi @cstz, thank you for watching - there will be a Part 2 of the Botticelli restoration process coming in the near future!

[@suvichaiful]

Well done, ladies. Thanks so much for this VDO. Absolutely love it for every single second.

[@awalton]

The frame did an amazing job of preserving the detail of that part of the painting, you can really see the starkness of the losses right at that frame line.

[@MarceloOliveira-hy5np]

Super!!!!! Wonderful place to work

[@fainatselnik267]

Can we see part two? Absolutely bold and highly entertaining!

[@nationalgallery]

Part 2 is coming, don't worry! Keep an eye out on our channel

[@josephhapp9]

Great work, thank you.

[@Figueiredoartconservation]

This is so interesting, I just love the process, and having such an important painting as this, wow! Thumbs up 🙂

[@LostCylon]

Nerve wracking to watch, but I applaud that you let a younger member do this rather than simply do it yourself :)

[@adamgardiner5869]

Oh wow I've struck an entire new seam of KZbin gold...art conservation videos! Subbed ❤️

[@arghentrock]

It's interesting to see how work done in earlier times can actually have an impact on how a painting was intended to appear by its artist.

[@random22026]

👍👍Thumbs up, indeed! 👍👍 😃😃

[@carolabruzzo4935]

Fabulous

[@virginiacurry2423]

Outstanding education, thank you!!

[@barrycrump6189]

Fascinating.

[@burtonlee22]

Fantastic. Congratulations!!

[@willcwhite]

I'm too used to Baumgartner... expected way more dunking on the past conservators!

[@ocdholic]

At least there weren't any staples lol.

[@FlourescentPotato]

they'd be dunking on Baumgartner if they had something he'd worked on lol

[@jeffreylockhart8292]

Gorgeous

[@harpist.vanessa]

I wish you had posted this a couple months ago 😭 I did a whole project on this painting and this would've been an amazing resource!

[@jeffreylockhart8292]

When you pry away at frames to loosen or free any nails, while using a metal pry bar or tool, pad the metal with some cushiony foam and tape. That way the metal has the power to pry but not come in contact with any original material. It protects the hard surface with a minor padding

[@alice_hunter_Li]

This is cool

[@dmm9714]

What an amazing job you two have. Will the newly framed painting be on display when the gallery reopens?

[@deborahmelo7993]

Adorable

[@janie7242]

How exciting! Interact with over 550 +( 1470 AD..) years old painting! Humble! Yes, thumb up! 🤓😃💕

[@DV-dt9sq]

Wonderfull and soooo interesting... it is like discovering some ancient toomb or similar. 😍 I could watch more. Is there a problem why you do not make longer videos of restorations? 🌈

[@ppgedez]

That first nail release at the start, man that was a scary noise. Sounded like the picture had split in two.

[@Thea_MojaveOutliersWhipmakers]

0:05 BANG!!! *has heart attack NICE YOU GUYS! lol!

[@cheryld.3616]

❤️

[@marcoscastillojaen1888]

Botticelli, único.

[@Rosarium2007]

When do we get to see part two?

[@lucasalexandre4961]

I share your enthusiasm. The composition looks more balanced without the frame. Discovering and removing later interventions help us understand the artist's original intention. But I wonder if you'll repaint the missing and damaged fragments...

[@sebastian122]

How cute are they?

[@cuchareableroman1529]

1:28 for me as well LOL

[@nelsonx5326]

That little bit didn't change much. Still good to see the whole thing as artist intended.

[@ediefolta9494]

I kept silently screaming, "Put on some safety glasses!" Popping rusty nails.... geez!

[@decades.in.the.making]

Shouldn't the painting be covered before the old frame was removed ?

[@jeffreylockhart8292]

I do see you are using a pry block good choice

[@jeffhildreth9244]

Would this be an egg tempera painting. ?

[@stevebarlow3154]

Yes, though Botticelli seems mainly to have used egg tempera emulsions, rather than just egg yolk and water. Some of the paint used by him seems to have been unstable. I read that some of his works held in the Uffizi in Florence have large amounts of paint flaking off them.

[@eliseintheattic9697]

Sure seems like a tiny rickety table to use for that.

[@Ykssssss346]

🇲🇾❤️🇳🇿

[@jeffhildreth9244]

Interesting.. however, I would not have them remove the frame from my paining.

[@ORMA1]

Botticelli would come back in Florence

[@vaughangarrick]

This job would terrify me. Id rather work on an oil rig putting fires out

[@ilksenteksoy4008]

🇹🇷🤗🤗🤗🤗😘💖

[@nationalgallery]

❤️

[@papagen00]

An old lady in Spain offered to restore the painting but they declined.

[@frankslegers2522]

Question: "Is Dry Ice cleaning an option for you people ?"

[@ryans3001]

The editing on this video is slightly reminiscent of a Liam Neeson film.

[@bretthess6376]

Here, take the frame off this Botticelli. Me: Sure I will, CRACK I just pissed myself.

[@cw4608]

The difference between true restoration/preservation and that tragic mutilation done on Ecce Homo.

[@Thomas-fu8vp]

Shouldn't they be wearing gloves, hair caps and masks to protect the painting???

[@nationalgallery]

Hi Thomas, if our Conservators and Restorers are not using hazardous materials they don’t always wear gloves when they are working with objects during treatment as they can get in the way and dull the sensitivity of what they can feel which is very important, although they do ensure their hands are clean. In this case, the frame is non-original and being removed and the painting is still undergoing a cleaning treatment and so any deposits that they might leave from their touch will be addressed before the treatment is finished. Thanks

[@cartapax5077]

Me (a simple philistine): free real state!

[@saifshukir2151]

I’ve been watching too much Baumgartner!

[@massimosquecco203]

What surprises me is that they started the frame's removal without covering the painting with Japanese paper. Weren't they worried about losing paint flakes, cracks on the general surface, etc.. These two ladies seem too confident of their Luck and not interested in preventive measures. I wonder about their point of view about the Coronavirus, for emergency comparison, because their own health is at risk, not Botticelli's work.

[@dlevi67]

Maybe if you had read the video notes you'd have seen that "This content was filmed in 2019" Whether that justifies their non-use of Japanese paper I'll leave to the experts. It certainly justifies their ignoring coronaviruses.

[@lisalovelylpa]

If the artist framed it maybe he wants it covered up ?

[@sebastiaoedsonmacedo7950]

I don’t see the point in doing that. The whole canvas is not necessarily the narrative. The story doesn’t go beyond the frame.

[@meti451]

❤