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Restaurabits

Secrets and other curiosities

La muerte de Jacinto. Giambattista Tiepolo

The beautiful Apollo

Comparative detail of the visible image and the infrared reflectography of “The Death of Jacinto” by Tiepolo
Detalle comparativo de la imagen visible y la reflectografía infrarroja de "La muerte de Jacinto" de Tiepolo

When studying this work, we discovered the ornamentation Tiepolo designed for the god Apollo. In the infrared image you can see the drawing of an earring and a ribbon with a pearl supported by the hair, as well as a bracelet adorning his right arm. They were later painted over in coloured brushstrokes.

Infrared reflectography reveals the preparatory drawing or sketch concealed by the layers of paint. It shows how the artist progressively made changes to the composition. 

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More restaurabits

Detail of the X-ray of Rubens’s “Venus and Cupid”
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The invisible knife

Did you know that Rubens used a knife in this work?

Rubens used this tool to apply a layer of white paint beneath the figures' skin to enhance their luminosity and volume.

Detail of the contours of the skin tones in the painting “Venus and Cupid”
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The middle finger

Rubens succeeds in conveying the delicacy with which Venus presses the middle finger of her hand against her breast with just a few small brushstrokes.

Detail of the cleaning procedure carried out on the painting “Venus and Cupid” by Peter Paul Rubens
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Discovering Venus

The deterioration of the varnish on the painting Venus and Cupid made it difficult to properly appreciate its hues and dulled the luminosity that Rubens had intended it to have. 

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The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza would like to thanks for the collaboration of:

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