{"id":10287,"date":"2014-09-24T07:14:00","date_gmt":"2014-09-24T05:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/?p=10287"},"modified":"2020-10-21T12:54:20","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T10:54:20","slug":"leonardo-da-vinci-adoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/florence\/leonardo-da-vinci-adoration\/","title":{"rendered":"Leonardo’s Adoration like you’ve never seen it before"},"content":{"rendered":"

The unfinished Adoration of the Magi<\/em> by Leonardo da Vinci<\/strong> has always been one of the most important testimonies to the artist’s working style. The Uffizi<\/strong><\/a> masterpiece has been undergoing analysis and restoration since December 2012, and the first phase of the restoration<\/strong> has been presented to the press due to the exceptional results achieved. Although there were no surprises – restoration went just as planned thanks to extensive pre-intervention research – the first phase, which simply involved careful cleaning, has revealed numerous details in the painting that could previously only be seen by x-ray. Seeing them in person for the first time was like seeing an old friend reborn!<\/p>\n

\"Before
Before cleaning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"After
After cleaning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

The restoration was presented by Marco Ciatti, Superintendant of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, by the president of the Amici degli Uffizi, who paid for the project, and by Cecilia Frosinini, an art historian in charge of the work (alongside Ciatti). Ciatti highlighed the main accomplishments: he made a strong point of saying that the cleaning was done very conservatively but that it was necessary, not only because of the increased legibility for us, but also because it has reduced surface deterioration that was taking place due to the way that the “gunk” (dirt, oil, smoke and varnish) was contracting and causing cracking. This is in part justification, since important restorations are always controversial, and already ten years ago or more, this painting was due to be restored but the work was halted amidst controversy. There is always a fear of overcleaning and everyone is quick to criticize. It is clear here, comparing some of the still uncleaned sections to those that have been subjected to the removal of varnish, that nobody has been overzealous. Ciatti emphasized that their goal is never<\/em> to make a painting look “new” the way it did 500 years ago but just to remove extraneous elements that were added over time. In this case, none of these elements are “historical” (as is in the case of say, the Bardi Chapel<\/em> by Giotto, where the fresco includes an addition by a later artist), so it’s pretty straightforward.<\/p>\n

Cecilia Frosinini<\/strong> took the time to talk with Alexandra Lawrence (editor at large of The Florentine and licensed guide) and I about her very personal experience with the painting and the challenges of restoring a work like this. My apologies for the audio, taken in a crowded room.<\/p>\n