Restoration Thyssen

It strives to restore the integrity of works by applying treatments that prolong the life of these cultural assets and to remedy the damage caused by the passage of time and the ageing of materials.

Discover the Restaurabits

Secrets and curiosities of the works
Micromuestra tomada de la decoración roja del vestido de la obra de Ghirlandaio “Retrato de Giovanna Tornabuoni”
Restaurabit
Did you know that each brushstroke hides a secret?

The study of materials of the work investigates the real composition of each layer. The materials analysis was carried out to determine the composition of the original materials used in the painting and how they are distributed in the various layers.

The information obtained from this analysis is useful for understanding the pictorial technique that the artist used.  Each of the micro-samples contains true and reliable evidence of the materials Ghirlandaio used in this work.

Detail of the X-ray image showing the inscription, hidden by the layers of paint on Carpaccio's painting
Restaurabit
The enigma of the inscription

Carpaccio’s young knight has always proved enigmatic to scholars. One of the most curious findings of our study was the discovery of a concealed inscription on the back of the painting: ‘A. Durer’. 

Detail of the fingerprint of the Dix work “Portrait of Hugo Erfurth”
Restaurabit
Discovery of the fingerprint

While conducting our technical study of the painting, we found a fingerprint, which could be Otto Dix’s, impressed on the picture’s surface beside the tiepin. 

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Technical Studies and Conservation Work

Conservation/restoration projects and technical studies reflect the results of the examinations carried out by the department. This work helps glean new information and rediscover the pieces in the permanent collection
Recovering the light. Restoration of Waterloo Bridge, by André Derain
Restoration and technical study
Recovering the light. Restoration of Waterloo Bridge, by André Derain
The restoration of Derain’s Waterloo Bridge was an exhaustive process which lasted 15 months and was aimed at recovering the colours and luminosity of this masterpiece. As a result, the painting has gained depth and recovered the vibrant light and vivid colours that characterise this great painter’s works.
Self-Portrait by Gabriele Münter. Technical study
Technical study
Self-Portrait by Gabriele Münter. Technical study
In connection with the Gabriele Münter retrospective at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, the department of conservation/ restoration decided to study the works by this artist in the collection to learn more about her technique.
Fra Angelico, The Virgin of Humility.
Restoration and technical study
Fra Angelico, The Virgin of Humility.
Results and conclusions of the technical studies conducted on The Virgin of Humility, one of Fra Angelico’s most iconic paintings.
Carpaccio’s Knight
Restoration and technical study
Carpaccio’s Knight
Carpaccio’s Knight is a painting that is as dazzling as it is enigmatic. We still do not know the man’s identity, even though historians have been coming up with various hypothesis for the past century. The most recent proposal, put forward by Professor Augusto Gentili, is that he is a Venetian captain stationed at a naval base in Greece who was defeated by the Turks and beheaded in Istanbul.
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Meet the Restoration team

Research projects

Approach the restoration process

Visits to the workshop
Visits to the workshop
Aimed at professionals and postgraduate and master's degree students
The visit shows how professional conservation and restoration work is carried out in the institutional environment through the various activities involved and complements academic training with a view to the students' professional future.   
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Guided virtual tour
Guided virtual tour
A virtual experience for all audiences
A tour of the works from the point of view of the museum's restoration team. You will learn about some of the treatments that are carried out on the paintings and we will reveal secrets and curiosities that hide a selection of our masterpieces.
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La obra de Ghirlandaio Retrato de Giovanna Tornabuoni, en el taller de restauración
Supports restoration projects
Collaborate actively with the museum in its studies and projects
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