Project

In 1988, WMF joined the organization Save Venice to conserve the east end presbytery of San Giovanni in Bragora. The Sorprintendenza per I Beni Artisticie Storici was already present at the site, working to repair structural damage in other areas of the church. We focused on the altarpiece decorated by Giambattista Cima da Conegliano. (...)

In 1988, WMF joined the organization Save Venice to conserve the east end presbytery of San Giovanni in Bragora. The Sorprintendenza per I Beni Artisticie Storici was already present at the site, working to repair structural damage in other areas of the church. We focused on the altarpiece decorated by Giambattista Cima da Conegliano. The painting itself was hidden under numerous layers of overpainting from the 16th century and had been darkened by an application of varnish. Infrared reflectography, a new technique at the time, was used to document the painting before conservation. Restoration began on the Baptism of Christ with the removal of the overpainting and varnish, revealing the original surface in good condition with bright blues against a country landscape. The earliest large-scale depiction of the scene, the Baptism of Christ shows Christ standing serenely against a hilly countryside while John the Baptist prepares for the rite and angels rest on clouds in a light blue sky. The stucco work and marble frame were also treated to renew the entire section of the church.