The Museum and Royal Wood of Capodimonte in Naples inaugurates a new 'transparent' restoration site, offering visitors the opportunity to witness the restoration operations on precious ancient panels. The initiative, which will begin on Friday, February 14, will involve rooms 102 and 104 on the second floor of the museum.
The Restoration on Display
The paintings undergoing restoration include works from the Bourbon and Farnese Collections, with a historical period ranging from 1300 to 1500. Among the most significant works, “The Massacre of the Innocents” by Matteo di Giovanni, a tempera from around 1488, commemorates significant historical events for the region. Along with this, works by Cristoforo Scacco, including the “Polittico di Penta” from 1493, and two other works by the same artist, will also undergo significant conservation work. One of the works from the Farnese Collection, “The Dispute on the Immaculate Conception” by Giovan Antonio de' Sacchis known as Pordenone, an oil on panel from 1529-1530, will also be restored.
Restoration Techniques and Audience Involvement
The open construction site will allow visitors to observe the delicate restoration operations up close. The interventions aim to control lifting phenomena and lesions of the pictorial film, using techniques such as parquetry to support the natural movements of the materials. Cleaning and pictorial integration operations will be carried out to bring the original colors to light. The use of the museum rooms as temporary laboratories, accompanied by a transparent shield, allows visitors to follow the process in real time, enriching themselves with notions related to the conservation of artistic assets. Detailed information will be accessible via a QRCode, while the hashtag #RestauroConVista will tell the evolution of the works through the official social channels of the Museum.
Article published on 13 February 2025 - 18:42
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The museum's initiative is very interesting, but I don't know if all visitors will understand the restoration techniques. We hope that there will be clear and understandable information for everyone, so that they can better appreciate the artists' work.