Watch Rembrandt masterpiece get a face lift in person
- hace 5 años
Amsterdam, Jul 19 (EFE).- The restoration of "The Night Watch" by Dutch master Rembrandt has become a tourist attraction in and of itself as 25 experts at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum bring the work back to its original brilliance behind a glass plane like a team of surgeons.
Hundreds of tourists from across the world line up for a chance to peer into the restoration chamber and catch a glimpse of the biggest restoration process this Dutch Golden Age painting has undergone since the oil was first applied to the canvas in 1642.
Most visitors appreciate the Rijksmuseum's decision to do the restoration inside the gallery itself instead of in a specialized laboratory as it means fans of Rembrandt (1606-69) still have the opportunity to visit one of his most celebrated masterpieces. Others, however, regret the considerable and sometimes noisy crowds it has attracted.
The project has brought together expert curators, art conservationists and scientists. They use state-of-the-art imaging technology to build a layer-by-layer portrait of the painting's history.
The artwork, which weighs some 337 kilograms (743 pounds) and measures 363 cm × 437 cm (142.9 in × 172.0 in), has been scanned around the clock since the initial research phase got underway on July 8.
Moreover, the process can be followed from the comfort of your home as it is live-streamed on the museum's website.
The Operation Night Watch team will conduct 56 imaging analyses of the canvas using a selection of different technologies, the first of which involves Macro X-Ray fluorescent scanning.
Unlike the regular X-Ray technology used in hospitals, Macro XRF provides a non-invasive manner to track heavy and light elements in the painting, isolating the smallest brushstroke, adjustment or correction the artist made in the creation of the artwork.
FOOTAGE OF THE GALLERY WHERE THE RESTORATION IS CONDUCTED AT AMSTERDAM'S RIJKSMUSEUM.
SOUNDBITES OF HEAD OF CONSERVATION OF AMSTERDAM'S RIJKSMUSEUM PETRIA NOBLE.
Hundreds of tourists from across the world line up for a chance to peer into the restoration chamber and catch a glimpse of the biggest restoration process this Dutch Golden Age painting has undergone since the oil was first applied to the canvas in 1642.
Most visitors appreciate the Rijksmuseum's decision to do the restoration inside the gallery itself instead of in a specialized laboratory as it means fans of Rembrandt (1606-69) still have the opportunity to visit one of his most celebrated masterpieces. Others, however, regret the considerable and sometimes noisy crowds it has attracted.
The project has brought together expert curators, art conservationists and scientists. They use state-of-the-art imaging technology to build a layer-by-layer portrait of the painting's history.
The artwork, which weighs some 337 kilograms (743 pounds) and measures 363 cm × 437 cm (142.9 in × 172.0 in), has been scanned around the clock since the initial research phase got underway on July 8.
Moreover, the process can be followed from the comfort of your home as it is live-streamed on the museum's website.
The Operation Night Watch team will conduct 56 imaging analyses of the canvas using a selection of different technologies, the first of which involves Macro X-Ray fluorescent scanning.
Unlike the regular X-Ray technology used in hospitals, Macro XRF provides a non-invasive manner to track heavy and light elements in the painting, isolating the smallest brushstroke, adjustment or correction the artist made in the creation of the artwork.
FOOTAGE OF THE GALLERY WHERE THE RESTORATION IS CONDUCTED AT AMSTERDAM'S RIJKSMUSEUM.
SOUNDBITES OF HEAD OF CONSERVATION OF AMSTERDAM'S RIJKSMUSEUM PETRIA NOBLE.