Conservators Abbie Vandivere and Jolijn Schilder will present the turbulent history, visual and chemical changes, and treatment of the largest 17th-century painting in the Mauritshuis: The Bull by Paulus Potter (1647). They will address questions like:
- Why and how did Potter make so many changes as he developed his composition of the “ideal” bull?
- Why was the sky so broadly overpainted during previous treatments, and how do we deal with this during the restoration?
- Should later additions remain visible or be covered at the retouching stage?
- What steps did we follow to restore a large painting in front of the museum public, and what advice do we have for conservators facing similar challenges?
For more information about the project:
https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/what-s-on/exhibitions/a-peek-at-potter
The scientific research was carried out in cooperation with the Rijksmuseum, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, and the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI). A previous ICON lecture (Uncovering a Lost Masterpiece: The hidden story behind Paulus Potter’s The Abduction of Europa) focused on a related painting in the NGI collection.
Jolijn Schilder
