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Prob the best example is actually the Mona Lisa. A duplicate made at the same time, probably by a pupil, was discovered and shows how truly amazing the Mona Lis

Prob the best example is actually the Mona Lisa. A duplicate made at the same time, probably by a pupil, was discovered and shows how truly amazing the Mona Lisa could have been. The cloth actually looks translucent in the painting and the colors vibrant and cheerful. https://www.npr.org/2012/02/02/146288063/painting-sheds-new-light-on-the-mona-lisa https://www.npr.org/2012/02/02/146288063/painting-sheds-new-...

toyg 5y ago
The BBC has a show called The Repair Shop, where people submit their old wares and heirlooms to be restored by specialist artisans. In most episodes there are paintings involved, and the first thing the specialist restorer does is to strip away layers of old varnish. The results are typically spectacular: colours become vibrant again, right off the bat, completely changing the mood of the composition. I’m sure there is a Louvre team dedicated to maintaining Mona Lisa so this will sound like an idiot request, but: maybe it’s time to do something like that for the old girl…?
- Veen 5y ago
  One of my favourite YouTube channels is Baumgartner Restoration. He’s a fine art restorer, and his videos are well-produced mini documentaries that show the restoration process from cleaning to retouching to varnishing and framing.
  - HPsquared 5y ago
    Was just about to post this https://www.youtube.com/c/BaumgartnerRestoration https://www.youtube.com/c/BaumgartnerRestoration
- Bayart 5y ago
  So, as I understand it the problem with the Mona Lisa in the Louvre is that layers of paints have already been stripped and damaged (the layering of very thin coats of paint is the signature of Leonardo's technique) and the varnish itself has been carefully applied by Leonardo and is somewhat part of the painting. Add that the wood panels it's on have contorted and you've got an extremely difficult piece to restore. It's better to act very conservatively with it.
- technothrasher 5y ago
  They definitely play this up on The Repair Shop, though. They tend to super saturate the video on the "after" shots. In fact the entire show has a "fake" feel to it because of the highly processed video. Still, a fun show to watch. I just wish they were more focused on the technical restoration work itself, but that's a complaint I have with pretty much all restoration shows.
neonnoodle 5y ago
There’s also one by another Leo protege where she’s topless: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa_replicas_and_reinterpretations#/media/File:Monna_Vanna.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa_replicas_and_reinter...

toyg 5y ago

The BBC has a show called The Repair Shop, where people submit their old wares and heirlooms to be restored by specialist artisans. In most episodes there are paintings involved, and the first thing the specialist restorer does is to strip away layers of old varnish. The results are typically spectacular: colours become vibrant again, right off the bat, completely changing the mood of the composition. I’m sure there is a Louvre team dedicated to maintaining Mona Lisa so this will sound like an idiot request, but: maybe it’s time to do something like that for the old girl…?

Veen 5y ago
One of my favourite YouTube channels is Baumgartner Restoration. He’s a fine art restorer, and his videos are well-produced mini documentaries that show the restoration process from cleaning to retouching to varnishing and framing.
- HPsquared 5y ago
  Was just about to post this https://www.youtube.com/c/BaumgartnerRestoration https://www.youtube.com/c/BaumgartnerRestoration
Bayart 5y ago
So, as I understand it the problem with the Mona Lisa in the Louvre is that layers of paints have already been stripped and damaged (the layering of very thin coats of paint is the signature of Leonardo's technique) and the varnish itself has been carefully applied by Leonardo and is somewhat part of the painting. Add that the wood panels it's on have contorted and you've got an extremely difficult piece to restore. It's better to act very conservatively with it.
technothrasher 5y ago
They definitely play this up on The Repair Shop, though. They tend to super saturate the video on the "after" shots. In fact the entire show has a "fake" feel to it because of the highly processed video. Still, a fun show to watch. I just wish they were more focused on the technical restoration work itself, but that's a complaint I have with pretty much all restoration shows.

neonnoodle 5y ago

There’s also one by another Leo protege where she’s topless: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa_replicas_and_reinterpretations#/media/File:Monna_Vanna.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa_replicas_and_reinter...