September 14, 1999

Getting Down to Business

The exhibition gets underway, giving the conservators a chance to get down to business and begin the restoration of the painting.

September 15, 1999

Visitors gather to view the restoration in progress. Joan Gorman, senior paintings conservator, removes dirt and grime from the varnish layer of the painting. Visitors can explore The Minneapolis Institute of Arts' Restoration Online Web site from a computer located in the exhibition gallery.

September 16, 1999

The painting is rotated to allow the conservators greater access to the areas they have not yet cleaned.

September 16, 1999

A Major Discovery

Conservators make a major discovery! When they remove overpainting from a previous restoration they find what may be Castiglione's signature. Treatment is temporarily halted while a special microscope is set up.

The microscope allows the conservators to get a better look at the possible signature. It also allows them to remove the overpainting without fear of damaging even the slightest bit of their discovery.

September 17, 1999

David and Joan continue cleaning and removing overpainting from previous restoration efforts. There is much work to do in this initial phase of the process.