The European Art Department has been steadily working on the conservation of European paintings. The European Art Society and a number of generous patrons have funded multiple projects already and the first freshly conserved paintings have recently returned or will soon return to Birmingham.
The change often is dramatic. One of our important Flemish full-length portraits from about 1600 is being treated right now. As this photo attests, removing surface grime and dirty, old varnish is really transforming the appearance of the painting. Her skin is no longer a sickly yellow, but has brightened up significantly!
Improvements like this can be expected from a number of paintings in our collection. If you would like to get involved and help uncover their original beauty, please refer to our Adopt-an-Artwork program.