DA VINCI'S VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS TO GO ON DISPLAY

LEONARDO DA VINCI'S VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS IS TO GO ON DISPLAY IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY AFTER AN 18 MONTH RESTORATION PROJECT WHICH STARTED IN NOVEMBER 2008. THE DECISION TO RESTORE THE HISTORIC PAINTING CAME AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF INTENSIVE STUDY OF LEONARDO'S WORK AND THAT OF HIS MILANESE ASSOCIATES AND ASSISTANTS, THE SO-CALLED LEONARDOESCHI, FROM WITHIN THE GALLERY'S COLLECTION. THE EXPERIENCE GAINED FROM EXAMINING THE PICTURES REINFORCED THE VIEW THAT 'THE VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS' COULD NOT BE APPRECIATED AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED. THE CLEANING PROCESS BEGAN BECAUSE SOME VARNISH THAT WAS APPLIED IN 1948-49 WAS PARTICULARLY UNSTABLE AND PRONE TO YELLOWING. FINE CRACKING IN THE VARNISH, AND ATMOSPHERIC DIRT WHICH HAD BECOME ABSORBED IN ITS WAXY SURFACE, MEANT THAT THE ABILITY OF THE VARNISH TO FULLY SATURATE THE PICTURE HAD BECOME SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED. AS A RESULT THE SUBTLETY OF SHADING AND THE SENSE OF SPACE WERE MARKEDLY REDUCED, AND THE IMPACT OF THE GREAT WORK SIGNIFICANTLY LESSENED. THE VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS WILL BE DISPLAYED IN A NEW FRAME MADE BY PETER SCHADE, HEAD OF FRAMING AT THE GALLERY. THIS INCORPORATES PARTS, THE PILASTERS AND CORNICE, OF A NORTHERN ITALIAN FRAME OF ABOUT 1500, PURCHASED SPECIALLY IN ITALY IN 2009. SCHADE HAS ADDED THE MISSING ELEMENTS, REFERRING TO CARVED FRAMES EXECUTED BY GIACOMO DEL MAINO WHO CARVED THE ALTARPIECE INTO WHICH THE VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS WAS ORIGINALLY SET. THE NEW FRAME WILL THEREFORE EVOKE THE GILDED SETTING OF LEONARDO'S MASTERPIECE, ACCENTUATING ITS MUTED COLOUR SCHEME, THE ARTIST'S REVOLUTIONARY SYSTEM OF SHADOWING AND THE ELEMENTS OF HIS PICTORIAL 'RELIEF', ALREADY MADE SO MUCH MORE EVIDENT BY THE RESTORATION. NEWLY CLEANED AND FRAMED IN THIS WAY, THE VIRGIN'S LEFT HAND, FOR EXAMPLE, NOW SEEMS TO PROJECT INTO THE VIEWER'S SPACE.