LONDON.- Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the
Rocks went back on display in the National Gallery (afternoon of 14th July) after an 18-month
restoration project which started in November 2008. The decision to restore the painting came
after several years of intensive study of Leonardo’s work and that of his
Milanese associates and assistants – the so-called leonardeschi – from within
the Gallery’s collection. The experience gained from examining these pictures
reinforced the view that ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’ could not be appreciated as
originally intended. The cleaning process began because some varnish that was
applied in 1948–9 was particularly unstable and prone to yellowing. Fine
cracking in that varnish, and atmospheric dirt which had become absorbed in its
waxy surface, meant that the ability of the varnish to fully saturate the
picture had become seriously compromised. As a result the subtlety of shading
and the sense of space were markedly reduced, and the impact of this great work
significantly lessened.