.gif)
Judith (Giorgione)
Encyclopedia
Judith is a painting by the Italian painter Giorgione
. It is one of the few authentic works by Giorgione owned by the Russia
n Hermitage Museum
. The painting, originally attributed to Raphael
, came to the Hermitage in 1772 from Paris
. Like many other paintings, it refers to the Judith and Holofernes motif.
covered Judith, which completely distorted the original painting; in addition, restorations conducted at different times had falsified the artist's intentions. In 1893 the Hermitage restorer A. Sidorov accurately transferred the painting from panel to canvas. In 1967 it was decided to clean it, and the task was entrusted to A.M. Malova, a highly qualified restorer under the supervision of A.V. Brianzev, head of the easel paintings restoration workshop. General control consisted of experts from Leningrad
and Moscow
.
The painting was first thoroughly studied with UV rays and binocular microscope. UV and infrared
images were taken, as well as X-rays. The examination showed that most of the damage was on the grass, ground and trunk. The old repaints covered broader areas than was necessary to restore the inflicted areas. The varnish was removed with a cotton tampon wetted in a special solution; other additional material was cleaned out using a very sharp scalpel under a microscope. Between two and six cm² of original painting was restored per day
The restoration was finished in 1971. The paints became bright and deep, and a tower and hilly landscape on the background were revealed.
Giorgione
Giorgione was a Venetian painter of the High Renaissance in Venice, whose career was cut off by his death at a little over thirty. Giorgione is known for the elusive poetic quality of his work, though only about six surviving paintings are acknowledged for certain to be his work...
. It is one of the few authentic works by Giorgione owned by the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Hermitage Museum
Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display,...
. The painting, originally attributed to Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
, came to the Hermitage in 1772 from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Like many other paintings, it refers to the Judith and Holofernes motif.
Restoration works
In the late 19th century, a thick layer of dark yellow varnishVarnish
Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. Varnish is traditionally a combination of a drying oil, a resin, and a thinner or solvent. Varnish finishes are usually glossy but may be designed to produce satin or semi-gloss...
covered Judith, which completely distorted the original painting; in addition, restorations conducted at different times had falsified the artist's intentions. In 1893 the Hermitage restorer A. Sidorov accurately transferred the painting from panel to canvas. In 1967 it was decided to clean it, and the task was entrusted to A.M. Malova, a highly qualified restorer under the supervision of A.V. Brianzev, head of the easel paintings restoration workshop. General control consisted of experts from Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
and Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
The painting was first thoroughly studied with UV rays and binocular microscope. UV and infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
images were taken, as well as X-rays. The examination showed that most of the damage was on the grass, ground and trunk. The old repaints covered broader areas than was necessary to restore the inflicted areas. The varnish was removed with a cotton tampon wetted in a special solution; other additional material was cleaned out using a very sharp scalpel under a microscope. Between two and six cm² of original painting was restored per day
The restoration was finished in 1971. The paints became bright and deep, and a tower and hilly landscape on the background were revealed.