The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza is presenting a special exhibition in Room 19 of the permanent collection devoted to the restoration and technical study undertaken on Venus and Cupid by Peter Paul Rubens. This project has allowed the restorers to gain more detailed knowledge of the materials used by the artist and his working methods, as well as to reinstate the painting’s chromatic balance and sense of perspective, which were previously concealed under layers of aged and deteriorated varnish.
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Peter Paul Rubens
Venus and Cupid, ca. 1606 - 1611
Painting before restoration. Oil on canvas. 137 x 111 cm. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
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Painting after restoration. Oil on canvas. 137 x 111 cm. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
The project, which lasted a year and a half, included the technical studies and laboratory analyses required in order to proceed to a rigorous restoration of the work, removing the oxidised varnish and consolidating the paint layer in specific areas with the aim of giving the painting greater overall stability that will ensure its optimum conservation in the future.
This special display shows the different phases of the restoration process through interactive digital resources that provide comparative images and enlarged details of the painting, as well as explanatory texts on the results of the technical study of the materials and on the artist’s creative process and painting technique, in addition to an audiovisual projection.
The restoration process
Although the paint layer was in good condition, the work showed losses in small areas, which had been filled in and retouched during a previous restoration, as well as some craquelure with slight lifting of paint. In addition, the aged varnish had acquired a very yellowish tone that affected the colours of the entire work, particularly noticeable in the lighter areas. Through their intervention on the painting, the restorers succeeded in fixing and stabilising the craquelure and also recovered the original colours used by the artist.
Infrared reflectogram
The infrared image reveals clean and firm underdrawing, particularly in the figures and the lower right area, which Rubens subsequently painted with greater detail and precision. The painting is in fact a copy of a work by Titian, which explains why the artist established a very clear design from the outset and did not make significant changes to the drawing.
X-radiograph
The radiographic study reveals a good state of preservation. Only some tears are visible in the central area of the painting, which may have led to relining in the past. The original canvas is a single piece of fabric which was reduced on all sides, presumably to trim them clean. The x-radiograph also reveals a very refined pictorial technique, showing how Rubens applied thick layers of paint with heavy impasto to the figures, while the background appears almost unfinished.
The x-radiograph also shows a primer over the preparation layer, based on lead white, which was only applied in the areas corresponding to the figures of Venus and Cupid, probably to add luminosity and volume to the flesh tones in contrast to the dark background.
By studying these images, the restorers discovered small changes to the composition, such as Venus's gaze in the mirror's reflection, which the artist initially directed towards the viewer and finally painted looking to her left, and Cupid's feet, which differ slightly in their position in the underdrawing and in the final version.
Materials análisis
Laboratory analysis has identified the material composition of the first layer applied to the canvas as calcium carbonate. A grey primer of white lead, calcium carbonate and charcoal was applied over this, followed by the various layers of oil pigment. The final coat has been identified as a resin called rosin and beeswax, typical of a varnish with a matte finish.
The frame
The frame is French, in the Régence style, and dates from a later period than the painting. Made of carved wood with water gilding, it combines gloss and matte areas. The restoration of the frame included cleaning the surface dirt with solvents in varying proportions to remove accumulations of the bitumen of Judea coating without damaging the wax patina. The process also involved repairing some deep cracks and missing fragments with a vinyl adhesive in the first phase, followed by an animal glue in the second. The losses were filled in with handmade gesso, and some areas were reconstructed with a wood resin. Reversible techniques based on watercolour and tempera were employed to reintegrate the paint and the final result was protected with a layer of acrylic resin.
