Uncovering restoration secrets of Rubens's 'The Judgement of Paris' | National Gallery

#AntiqueRestoration"Britta New shows how science and new technology improve our understanding of conservation changes that have been made to Rubens's 'Judgement of Paris' over its lifetime.

Using non-invasive imaging techniques, including XRF scanning, today, we can see the changes Rubens himself made to the composition and size of his picture, as well as the effects of more recent conservation treatment. Britta tells us how, armed with this new information, she was able to work on a painting that has so much history wrapped up in its panels and paint.

Funding for the conservation of Peter Paul Rubens's 'The Judgement of Paris' (1577 - 1640) was generously provided through a grant from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project.

00:00 Intro
01:03 The Judgement of Paris as we see it now
02:44 How Rubens painted it and what changed
07:10 How is the panel constructed?
09:38 Panel conservation
12:16 Conservation history
13:27 Restoration and next steps"