Prague gallery begins years-long restoration of dürer masterpiece
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In Prague, the National Gallery Prague removed Albrecht Dürer’s 1506 painting The Rosary Festival from display on September 1st to begin a multi-year restoration project.
Emperor Rudolf II originally acquired the artwork for the city. Gallery representatives announced the project, explaining that cracks and paint loss are visible where the painting is separating from its poplar wood panel. The gallery noted earlier examinations revealed damage including darkened retouching and filler covering as much as one-fifth of the painting’s surface.
An international commission will determine the specific restoration methods, including how much of Dürer’s original work to reveal versus retaining later alterations. Experts are currently using XRF mapping technology to analyze the pigments and understand the layers of paint, revealing when materials were added and the extent of past reconstructions. The painting will remain in Prague during the initial research phase, housed in the Schwarzenberg Palace before moving to another undisclosed National Gallery Prague location.
The gallery also plans to create a new, climate-controlled frame for the artwork, as it was previously displayed without one. The National Gallery Prague estimates the entire restoration will cost nine million Czech crowns, and received a grant of 210,000 crowns from the Ministry of Culture to fund the XRF mapping.
