Adoration of the Magi

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Detail from Adoration of the Magi

Q. Why are British art experts so angry over plans to restore Leonardo da Vinci's Adoration of the Magi
A. They think that restoration will damage the painting.

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Q. But doesn't restoration mean to RESTORE a painting
A. You would think so, but that apparently depends on what stage you restore it to.

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Q. And is restoration dangerous
A. You betcha, because once something is cleaned or a surface area removed to reveal what is underneath, there is no going back.

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Q. But surely paintings are restored all the time
A. That depends on their make-up, their condition, how they were created, and their value. Leonardo's Last Supper was restored and now experts thnk that the clean-up has removed much of the subtlety of the painting's message. The Mona Lisa has never been restored by The Louvre because it is felt the fragile surface of the work would be irrevocably damaged.

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Q. So what kind of restoration are they planning - taking it back to the original blank paper
A. Not quite. The restorer, Alfio Del Serro, has suggested that the dark areas of the painting should be made lighter. He thinks a 'dirty leathery skin' on the surface of the picture� must have formed after it had been revarnished.

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Q. What's wrong with that
A. Two things: One is that the paintwork is characterised by thin wash-like sepia tints. The painting was left unfinished by da Vinci in 1482 -- and what remains is the monochrome sketch which underlays all his paintings.� The second is that many people believe the dark areas are its 'genius'.

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Q. Why is that
A. Leonardo was perhaps the foremost practitioner of the art of blurring and confusing images, blending edges into shadow and so on. They think some of the darkness was intended.

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Q. In that case why don't they leave it alone
A. Ahh, because other experts believe the dark bits make the painting less 'readable'.

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Q. Which is what
A. Making a painting more readable means you could learn more about the techniques and the meaning behind it.

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Q. So that's good
A. Not according to some, who feel that this is a dangerous modern trend by which restorers and curators claim they have the right to work on a painting, because they have a duty to provide art to the most people in the most accessible form.

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Q. And don't they
A. Well other minds say this can lead to giving restorers licence to falsify a painting by making it brighter and clearer. It is a bit like giving a pensioner a face-lift. It looks good in some lights, and can smarten things up, but the surgery hides the real face that tells the real story.

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Q. Ahh, so it is one lot of experts against another
A. Yes indeedy. Some 40 British experts want the restoration scrapped. Meanwhile the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is minded to go ahead.

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Q. But if it is an Italian painting, in an Italian gallery which wants an Italian to restore it, isn't that the end of it
A. Ah, but great art is regarded as being 'international' and belonging to the peoples of all nations. Lawyers seems to be something of an international force too, and they are in on the act. The British experts say they will take legal action to try to stop the work going ahead.

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