PAINTING BY BAROQUE MASTER RESTORED AFTER BEING HIDEN FOR CENTURIES

THE OLD CHURCH OF SAN ESTEBAN, ON COLON DE VALENCIA STREET, HAD BEEN ITS HIDING PLACE FOR CENTURIES. THE PIECE, WHICH WAS COMPLETELY BLACKENED, HAD GONE UNNOTICED FOR MANY YEARS. THE WEATHER HAD HARMED THE PAINTING, IN FACT, 40% OF THE PAINT WAS GONE. FOR SEVEN MONTHS, THREE CONSERVATORS FROM THE FUNDACION LA LUZ DE LAS IMAGENES FIXED THEIR EYES AND HANDS ON THE WORK. AFTER THE CLEANING, STUCCO AND CHROMATIC REINTEGRATION, TECHNICIANS FOUND A WORK OF 'HIGH QUALITY' ACCORDING TO THE CONSERVATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STUNNING RESTORATION. BUT THE SURPRISE WAS NOT THE DISCOVERY OF AN EXQUISITE PIECE OF BAROQUE VALENCIA, BUT ITS AUTHORSHIP: IT IS 'CALVARY', BY FRANCISCO RIBALTA. THE ADVISER FROM THE CONSORCIO DE MUSEOS DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA EXPLAINED THAT THE COLOURS, THE QUALITY OF THE MATERIALS AND THE POSITION OF THE FIGURES OF THE VIRGIN AND CHRIST 'MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE CANVAS IS BY RIBALTA', THAT THE AUTHOR IS NOT FROM VALENCIA BUT LINKED TO THE CITY. THE BAROQUE PAINTER, BORN IN SOLSONA LEFT HIS BEST WORK IN ALGEMESI AND VALENCIA. AFTER THE EXHIBITION 'THE GLORY OF BAROQUE', THAT HAS BEEN VISITED BY MORE THAN 350,000 PERSONS, THE CANVAS WILL RETURN HOME AFTER THE RESTORERS HAVE REGAINED THE COLOUR AND TEXTURE OF A 'GREAT PIECE', WHICH ALSO LOST 30 INCHES IN SIZE.