The National Gallery of Victoria unveiled Nicolas Poussin’s The Crossing of the Red Sea after an intensive 12 month conservation project returning the 17th Century French masterpiece much closer to its original appearance. This important project was generously sponsored by BNP Paribas Australia and the BNP Paribas Foundation in Paris.
Nicolas Poussin, The Crossing of the Red Sea c. 1634. Oil on canvas, 155.6 x 215.3 cm. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Felton Bequest, 1948.
Dr Gerard Vaughan, Director, NGV said: “After nearly two years off display I am delighted to unveil Poussin’s magnificent masterpiece The Crossing of the Red Sea. This world-renowned work, acquired by the NGV in 1948 through the Felton Bequest, has been meticulously and successfully restored by Carl Villis, Conservator European Paintings before 1800, NGV.
“The restoration has revealed much about the artists’s magnificent use of colour and light gradation. Now that the project is complete, I encourage everyone to come and see this majestic work on display once again,” said Dr Vaughan.
Carl Villis, Conservator European Paintings before 1800, NGV said: “This has been a long and challenging restoration project, but also a very rewarding one. Before the treatment began we carried out an extensive technical examination of the painting, which revealed a number of troubling issues relating to the surface of the painting. In particular, the upper half of the painting had suffered from past cleaning attempts, resulting in the loss of several important details.
“Fortunately the rediscovery in 2009 of a long-lost replica – painted around 50 years later than the original – showed us just how different Poussin’s sky once looked. Using this high-quality replica as a guide, we have been able to reinstate some of those missing details. For the first time in generations we can see Poussin’s wonderful painting in something closer to its original appearance.”
Throughout the project, many online visitors followed the restoration stages via entries authored by Mr Villis at ngv.vic.gov.au