#behindthescenes of our restoration department 🧐 Titian’s ‘Virgin and Child with Saints Stephen, Jerome and Maurice’ has been undergoing a thorough restoration. Swipe through today’s carousel and witness some milestones of the process: 🖼 Pic 1: #before...
The painting had not been restored for a long period of time. It was appearing with dirty, yellowed and dull varnishes. Also, there were numerous darkened overpaintings and retouchings. Tensions in the painting support, caused by the cradling, had led to flaking and the formation of liftings in the paintlayer. 🔲 Pic 2: new support for the painting
The cradling was removed in order to relieve the wooden panel of tension and to relieve the paintlayer. 
A new support structure stabilises the large, heavily thinned panel and allows for climate-induced movements. 🖋 Pic 3: revealing the signature
During the process, Titian’s signature was discovered and uncovered during the cleaning. 🤩 Pic 4: #after
The brilliant colours of the painting can now be fully appreciated again. Through conservation and aesthetic measures the restoration of the painting also achieved a stabilisation of the endangered painting substance, and a cohesive appearance. 🕵️‍♀️ Curious to learn more about the restoration and to have a close look? Titian’s ‘Virgin and Child with Saints Stephen, Jerome and Maurice’ is back on view in Gallery IV at #KunsthistorischesMuseum #Vienna, shining in new splendour, and waiting to meet you eye to eye. A showcase has been placed right next to the masterpiece, providing insights, detailed photographs and x-rays that document the process. Tiziano Vecellio, called Titian (c. 1488 Pieve di Cadore - 1576 Venice), Virgin and Child with Saints Stephen, Jerome and Maurice, c. 1520.