Lecture: Artemisia Upclose. THE RESTORATION

This 'Wednesday lecture', at the British Institute of Florence, is sponsored by Calliope Arts, as part of our mission to expand public knowledge of art, literature and social history from a female perspective.

Under the auspices of the Artemisia UpClose project, conservator Elizabeth Wicks reveals the ins and outs of restoring Artemisia Gentileschi’s Allegory of Inclination at Casa Buonarroti. Following its descent from the museum ceiling, diagnostics enable an understanding of the state of the painting: What was Artemisia’s original technique and composition? What previous re-paintings and restorations affect the canvas?

“After cleaning, paint and preparation layers are consolidated with the painting placed in tension on a temporary stretcher and in a vacuum envelope, it is attached by a double layer of canvas strips to a custom-crafted stretcher made from a template of the original one,” explains Dr Wicks. The final phase? Inpainting and application of a protective varnish layer. From restoration science to painstaking skill, learn what its like to 'live' with Artemisia, whilst restoring her image to the world.

With an introduction by Project coordinator Linda Falcone spotlighting Artemisia’s debut from a Florentine standpoint, her introduction to the city – and the world – as maker and muse of a work aimed at honouring Michelangelo, whilst tying her name to his, for generations to come.