A Masterpiece Under the Microscope: Old Masters uncovered
Victoria Lancaster
The process of just how artwork is identified, authenticated, and restored
was thrown into the spotlight last year with the $450 million sale of Leon- ardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi”. What exactly is it that experts behind the scenes do to help uncover the mysteries of these forgotten masterpieces? And how exactly do they do it?
For every time that a new painting by a grand master is discovered, there has been a painstaking process of discovery and investigation going on for sometimes years to enable experts to make their declarations. The objective of my piece is to take readers on a visual journey through the life story of an Old Master’s painting, from restoration all the way through to authentication as a 17th century Baroque period masterpiece.