Cathy's Art Diary

Clear and intriguing online lecture from the London Art History Society on the restoration of the Notre-Dame Cathedral five years after the major fire. Alexandra Gajewski, reviews editor of the Burlington magazine who has a phd in Gothic architecture, led us through what was lost and what survived then the three stages of construction, securing the building, analysis of the fabric and restoration. I hadn’t realised that the site had to be closed for about 5 months early on when it was discovered that the levels of lead were too dangerous to work in the whole structure had to be hoovered to make it safe. I was fascinated to hear how the stonework which survived had to be supported until the roof, which stabilised it was replaced. The first service is planned to take place on 8 December and I will look out for it with interest.

Clear online lecture from ARTscapades looking at the questions which need to be asked when restoring damaged historic buildings. Simon Thurley, chair of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a previous chair of English Heritage, was perfectly placed to outline the approach taken on three projects where buildings were damaged by fire and the lessons those projects had learnt from the previous fire at York Minster, shown here for obvious reasons to anyone who knows me. He talked about Hampton Court, Windsor Castle and Uppark House. He also discussed other projects in Britian and Europe from Notre Dame to Clandon House. He talked about the different approach taken if buildings have been damaged by historic events rather than fire taking the Reichstag and the Museum of Berlin as examples. The talk ended with an excellent Q&A session with intelligent questions and honest, informed answers  

Fascinating online conversation from the National Gallery discussing the recent restoration of Piero della Francesca’s “Nativity”. Carlo Corsato from the gallery’s education department interviewed Jill Dunkerton from the conservation department who had been working on the project since early 2020. She took us though earlier restorations and the thinking behind the current one. She explained how a mm of the panel had been lost after panels had been rejoined in the past which had distorted the face of an angel and their lute. This had been filled and the missing paint retouched which had rectified the angel’s squint. She also took us through how, in cleaning the stable, she discovered a patch of light on the wall which is coming through the hole in the roof which one shepherd points to. Talking of the shepherds she also discussed how these were not unfinished as previous thought but just worn. The decision was taken to retouch their faces based on the underdrawing and pounce marks

Fascinating online lecture from the National Gallery outlining the latest scientific research on Leonardo’s “Virgin of the Rocks”. The format of the event was an interview with Marta Melchiorre of the gallery’s scientific department by Carlo Corsato from the learning department, leading her though some of the newest scientific techniques to analyses painting in a non-invasive way and what they have shown us about this painting. I’m not sure I understood all the science but I was intrigued by the results. Most fascinating were new ways of mapping the chemicals in pigments across a painting and, in this case, a zinc map showed up the underdrawing more clearly as the drawing material contained the chemical. This showed more of a very different composition under the one we see now which had been partly discovered in 2004. Melchoirre discussed how this drawing of the virgin looking down at the child supported by an angel closely follows a drawing in the Metropolitan Museum which also