Official presentation of the restoration project on a newly found painting by Plautilla Nelli and her workshop. With: Alessia Bettini, Vice Mayor of Florence; Dr. Roberta Lapucci, director of the Restoration Department of Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute; Dr. Catherine Turrill, art historian, and renowned Nelli expert; and Jane Adams, from Caravaggio & Contemporary.
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Jane explains how meeting Jane Fortune and Advancing Women Artists led to one of the most recent examples of lost art and also one of the most impressive. Sister Plautilla Nelli’s (1524-1588) The Last Supper is the only known depiction of Christ’s last meal by a female artist in the pre-modern age.
The self-taught artist’s massive canvas—about 21 feet long and 7 feet high—is one of the largest works by a woman artist of the pre-modern era in the entire world. Though women were banned from studying anatomy, Nelli defied the conventions of the time by taking on a theme reserved for male artists and creating 13 life-size male figures.
There are still so many questions and Jane helps clarify why some of these works were never considered masterpieces. A movement is happening now around Italy’s women’s art restoration and Jane will bring you into a history that is not just restoring the works of art, but also restoring women’s place in art history. Over the past 10 years, over 70 works of art are now restored.
When you think about it, art has always been used as a means of storytelling and has vastly enriched our lives. The world needs women to inspire us, to raise our spirits, and to serve as role models for our future generation of girls.
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The San Salvatore di Ognissanti church is the site of three restoration projects and an upcoming benefit concert on October 22 to fund work that will uplift and enlighten the church’s extraordinary cultural heritage. Jane Adams and Roberta Lapucci, co-founders of Caravaggio & Contemporary, are behind the project’s development and outreach, in collaboration with Anita Evi Gonzalez. The restoration is being conducted by Roberta Lapucci under the direction of Maria Pia Zaccheddu (Superintendent for Architectural, Landscape, Historical and Artistic Heritage) and with Fra Giuseppe Caro.
British residents Christian and Florence Levett made a generous donation to cover the restoration of the terracotta sculpture that shows the meeting of saints Francis and Dominic embraced by an angel, which is situated in the Alcantara Chapel. They have also supported the new lighting system for the church.
The restoration is also significant, given that this year marks the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Dominic. Dating to the mid-16th century, one leg was heavily damaged and poorly plastered, meaning its surface had to be remodeled and retouched. The angel formerly had a red robe to represent the flame of divine love, but, as Lapucci explains, “chemical testing revealed that it had been repainted with a pink shirt and blue sleeves in the 18th century, making the red robe irretrievable given how fragmented the paintwork had become”. Work was also carried out on the external architecture, which entailed a trench being dug around the outside of the chapel to allow air to circulate and dry out the interior. The masonry and surface wood with imitation marble and stucco gilding were restored, as well as the fresco on the left wall of the chapel, with much of the restoration undertaken by Fra Giuseppe Caro himself. The Madonna Guadalupe was relocated to the side wall and a sculpture of The Tree of Life was donated by Anita Evi Gonzalez, which is on display alongside the work.
“Ognissanti is one of the oldest churches in Florence and is also the resting place of the muse for the Birth of Venus, one of the most famous paintings ever created,” remarks Christian Levett. “In historical terms then, the work is not only of deep interest, but also necessary for the city in general.”
Additionally, a project is hoped to be carried out by students from the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, on six large canvases in the Duchi d’Alba chapel. “The chapel will be turned into a restoration site,” Lapucci elaborates. “The group of paintings from the mid to late 17th century have likely not been cleaned for over 100 years, and so the students will perform that work here on site, as well as undertaking structural work (tears and rips are present in the canvas supports) so that these works will be even more luminous and beautiful.”
The benefit concert on October 22 will go towards funding the restoration of the oil on canvas, Saint Francis Receives the Stigmata. The proceedings will get underway at 6pm with a presentation of the restored terracotta sculpture (in Italian) before soprano Sophie Gallagher delights with her performance. The Royal College of Music London graduate debuted with ‘Albert Herring’ at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and has given a solo recital at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. She will be joined by countertenor Tom Scott-Cowell, also a graduate of the Royal College of Music London, and accompanying organist Sándor Károlyi. The concert programme features Gounod’s ‘Sanctus’, Pergolesi’s ‘Sancta Mater’, Mozart’s ‘Laudamus Te’ and Dvořák’s biblical songs ‘Gott erhöre mein Gebet’ and Herr! Nun sing’ ich Dir ein neues Lied’. After the last notes ring out, the audience will be invited to view the Alcantara chapel to see the newly restored sculpture, followed by an aperitivo in the courtyard. A generous donation is kindly requested, with all monies raised going towards the restoration.
September 2021 has seen the completion of the restoration of the painting Sinite Parvulos by Artemisia Gentileschi, owned by the Church of Saint Ambrogio and Carlo al Corso and home to the painting.
The masterpiece by Artemisia Gentileschi, Sinite Parvulos, or “Let the Children Come to Me”, is the core of the restoration project conceived by Elda Nerina Mariotti in 2019 and turned into reality thanks to Jane Adams, Co-founder of the Cultural Association Caravaggio&Contemporary and Mark Smith, President of Private Italy Tours, who sponsored the initiative.
Jane Adams first met Elda Mariotti in Rome on Valentine’s Day 2019; they visited the church of San Carlo al Corso together to see Artemisia Gentileschi’s Sinite Parvulos. In dire need of conservation, a joint promise was made: restore the painting and bring its story back to light not only with direct intervention on the materiality but also with the aid of the most up-to-date scientific analysis.
A personal quest for both of them gave Elda strength and hope during her illness; she felt a magical connection with Artemisia who seemed to be masterminding the unfolding events; in the words of her brother Chris Mariotti: “This is not just a painting to restore, this will be an inspirational story for generations to come.”
Jane Adams first learned of Artemisia Gentileschi through the restoration of Artemisia’s David and Bathsheba, Uffizi Galleries, which was funded by Jane Fortune. Jane Adams was inspired by Jane Fortune and her quest to rediscover and restore art by women; not only did she embrace her mission but went on to work on several restoration projects with her. The most important of these artworks was Plautilla Nelli’s Last Supper. This masterpiece was unveiled in 2019; it is now on permanent exhibit in the Museum of Santa Maria Novella, Florence. During this project, she met Mark Smith and introduced him to Plautilla Nelli’s art and life. As a major donor, he became passionate about Nelli and curious to learn more about other female artists.
Upon hearing about Artemisia’s Sinite Parvulos painting he was enthralled and together Adams and Smith created this privately funded restoration project in Rome. She has been the key person in leading the coordination of the entire team involved with the Rome project. Smith, also a lecturer on the Art of the Italian Renaissance and the Dutch Golden Age, has always been fascinated by the work of Artemisia Gentileschi. When Sinite Parvulos was identified for restoration, Smith immediately agreed to support this important project with the necessary funds. “Despite the attention given to her trial and victory, it is her passion for and engagement with her work and the work of other artists that inspires me,” Smith says and adds: “The legacy she gave us is a responsibility I take on with passion and care. The legacy we create today will carry on for generations. That is at the heart of my commitment to this critically important restoration.” The painting is property of the Arciconfraternita dei Santi Ambrogio e Carlo in Rome and the project features the supervision of the Soprintendenza Speciale di Roma directed by Daniela Porro.
It is one of the most remarkable works by Artemisia, rediscovered only some decades ago after enturies of oblivion. The painting had its place of honour in the Apostolato (Apostleship) commissioned from the Duke of Alcalà in 1625 to some of the “most illustrious painters to be found in Italy in that year”. The artwork depicts the well-known Gospel episode in which Christ said to his disciples “Let the children come to me,” a choice of subject that is seldom seen and shows significant originality and novelty.
A well-rehearsed team of restorers, technical art historians and conservation scientists has been involved in the project since its beginning. The restoration was carried out by CBC Coop – Conservazione e Restauro dei Beni Culturali (Matteo Rossi Doria, Caterina Barnaba, Alice Tognoni). Before and during the treatment an extensive diagnostic campaign (Multispectral Imaging, X-Radiography, Chemical Analysis) was performed by Emmebi Diagnostica Artistica (M. Beatrice De Ruggieri, Marco Cardinali, Matteo Positano), Giulio Frizzi, based in Hungary, has also been key in working with a photographic and video team in Rome to create the critical digital record of the restoration.
All the steps and the progression of the work have seen the scientific supervision of the Soprintendenza Speciale Rome by Dott. Alessandra Lanzoni. An official presentation is planned for 2022 with a focus on new scientific findings explained by the restoration and scientific team.
Other related events in 2021 took place, among them was a concert organized by the Association Europa in Canto on Saturday 11th September at the Roman Theatre of Ostia Antica in collaboration with Carano4Children, whose competition and benefit events 2021 were inspired by Artemisia.
A focus on Artemisia is planned in the forthcoming Symposium directed by Roberta Lapucci co-founder of Caravaggio & Contemporary with Jane Adams ‘From Artemisia to the others. Women of Caravaggio’ in Palazzo Museo Bourbon del Monte, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, Perugia the 2nd and 3rd of October, 2021. Program to be announced shortly. This restoration will be the first in a series of other conservation projects surrounding art by women and sacred art found in churches throughout Italy organized by Caravaggio & Contemporary.
