Coinciding with the 500^th anniversary of Plautilla Nelli’s birth, Florence’s first recognized female Renaissance artist (1524-1588) the following restoration is planned on this large altarpiece, the  ‘Madonna of the Rosary’. Restoration of the painting will be carried out by renowned ‘Nelli’ conservator Rossella Lari in collaboration with the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute whose ‘Advanced Restoration’ students under the direction of head professor Dr. Roberta Lapucci will be carrying out the restoration of the frame and the Superintendency of Florence. Catherine Turrill Lupi will be making a precious contribution with her research and increasing new findings on the recently discovered Nelli paintings. Other LdM departments will also be involved including: Gender Studies, Jewelry Design, Fine Art, Graphics and Communication are also participating in this project. Leading Nelli scholar.

Project start: March 2024
Completion and presentation of restoration and publication: October 2024 (date to be confirmed)

The restoration of the painting will be carried out by Rossella Lari, the living hand of Nelli in her studio in Florence. The restoration of the frame will be carried out at the Lorenzo de’Medici Institute in Florence, a joint collaboration that work together to restore this beautiful painting and enhance the body of Nelli works Nationally and Internationally with various events planned in 2024. The painting owned by the commune of Montaione is a project dear to the heart of Artemisia Gold, the Mayor of Montaione, Paolo Pomponi and Councillor of Art and Culture, Rachele de Prisco as well as the whole Community of Montaione. There will be several events surrounding this initiative including: conferences, exhibitions and gala events Montaione, Florence, London and USA.

• Art history research
• Diagnostic testing
• Restoration of the painting- Rossella Lari
• Frame conservation – Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute
• Photographic campaign
• Private visits to the restoration studios
• Presentation of the final project of  ‘Advanced Restoration’ LdM students to go towards their Degree
• Press Conference and presentation of completed project post-restoration
• National and International press campaign
• Presentation of the painting after restoration with its accompanying publication
• Inaugural events

• Artist: Plautilla Nelli
• Technique: Oil painting on panel
• Subject: Madonna of the Rosary,
• Location: Montaione, Church of Saint Joseph and Lucia

• Size: 175 cm x 139 cm, with frame 222 cm x 186 cm x 9 cm

Diagnostic campaign with Publication of one of Artemisia’s best loved works, her ‘Madonna and Child’ and ‘Santa Cecilia’ paintings at the Spada Gallery, Rome. 

A project to discover the secrets of these famous and much loved paintings. Funds are needed for the English translations and publication of this new volume. This project, curated by Artemisia Gold CIC and Emmebi Diagnostica Artistica, focuses on the execution of a diagnostic research campaign to document the technique, the materials used and its state of conservation. The interest that the figure of Artemisia Gentileschi has assumed in recent decades is demonstrated not only by the numerous exhibitions dedicated to her but also by the ever-increasing number of technical studies that enable us understand how she painted and, ultimately , why her style is so unique. The investigation proposed in this project is non-envasive, using different visible and non-visible radiation (ultraviolet, infrared, X-rays), which are able to provide images and data on the different constituent layers, from the support to the pictorial and finishing layers. Upon completion of the documentation campaign, it is hoped to be able to carry out a micro-sample, to analytically investigate the preparatory layers and some pictorial layers that may be more significant. Thanks to the goodwill of the Spada Gallery, these investigations took place within the gallery and the results of the investigation were illustrated to special guests in May 2023 during an exclusive private event at Museum. The investigations were sponosored by Artemisia Gold CIC and Caravaggio & Contemporary Ltd and were carried out and illustrated by Emmebi Diagnostica Artistica.

Carried out in 2023 Project included: Diagnostic investigations (including organization of live investigations) – Multispectral photographs (VIS-UV-IR) – Macrophotographs and microphotographs – Infrared reflectography – Radiography – X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF – Stratigraphy on polished section and SEM-EDS microanalysis – Private event at the Gallery Spada Planned for 2024 – A Publication with new findings The Madonna and Child and Saint Cecilia by Artemisia Gentileschi at the Spada Gallery The important findings, recently acquired on Artemisia Gentileschi’s Madonna and Child (Galleria Spada, Rome), thanks to the technical research project sponsored by Artemisia Gold cic and Caravaggio&Contemporary Ltd have given the impetus for the production of a monographic volume on the great painter’s two paintings, preserved in the Museum. Both the Madonna and Child and Saint Cecilia were subjected to an in-depth diagnostic campaign, curated by Emmebi Diagnostica Artistica s.r.l., aimed at characterizing their constituent materials and reconstructing the artist’s compositional processes. In the volume, which will be published in 2024 in Italian and English by the publisher De Luca, with essays by Francesco Solinas, Adriana Capriotti, Marco Cardinali and Maria Beatrice De Ruggieri, new light will be shed on the great artist and in particular on her two works in the Spada collection, thanks also to the contribution made to historical-critical studies by technical-scientific research. A rich set of images and technical data will accompany the publication of the studies.

Book look launch – May/June 2024

At the Spada Gallery in Rome there will be a private presentation and viewing of the two Artemisia paintings, her ‘Madonna and Child’ and ‘Santa Cecilia playing the Lute’ together with the unveiling of new groundbreaking findings and the publication surrounding them (date to be confirmed).

• Art history research
• Diagnostic testing
• Photographic campaign
• Presentation of new volume surrounding the 2 paintings by Artemisia Gentileschi, owned by Spada.
• Press Conference and presentation of project and new volume
• National and International press campaign
• Presentation of the painting and comparisions of similar works Inaugural events

• Artist: Artemisia Gentileschi
• Technique: Oil painting on canvas
• Subject: Madonna and Child
• Date: 1610-1611

• Size: 116,5 cm x 86,5 cm

Coinciding with the 500^th anniversary of Plautilla Nelli’s birth, Florence’s first recognized female Renaissance artist (1524-1588) the following restoration is planned on this small panel painting of the ‘Madonna and Child with Saint Catherine, Sant’Agnese and Saint Dominique’. Research and restoration by ‘Advanced Restoration’ students under the direction of head professor Dr. Roberta Lapucci of the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute of Florence and the ‘technical art’ scientific and chemical study campaign with the collaboration of  Trisha Dalke (ex-LDM student in Art Conservation) is currently taking her Master Degree in Technical Art at the University of Amsterdam. Other LdM departments such as Gender Studies, Jewelry Design, Fine Art, Graphics and Communication are also participating in this project. Leading Nelli scholar Dr. Catherine Turrill Lupi will be making a precious contribution with her research and increasing new findings on the small panels paintings by Plautilla Nelli and her ‘Bottega’ that are coming to light.

Start: January 2024
Completion and presentation of restoration and publication: June 2024

The restoration will be carried out at the Lorenzo de’Medici Institute in Florence, it will communicate and enhance the body of Nelli works Nationally and Internationally with various events planned in 2024, namely: conferences, exhibitions and gala events in San Marco, Palazzo Vecchio, Utrecht, Milan, London, Dublin and the USA

• Art history research
• Diagnostic testing Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam
• Restoration of the painting
• Frame Conservation
• Photographic campaign
• Presentation of the final project of 3 ‘Advanced Restoration’ LdM students to go towards their Degree
• Press Conference and presentation of the project
• National and International press campaign
• Presentation of the painting after restoration with its accompanying publication
• Inaugural events

• Artist: Plautilla Nelli
• Technique: Oil painting on panel
• Subject: Madonna and Child with Saint Catherine, Sant’Agnese and Saint Dominique

• Size:  35.5 cm  x 27.4 cm with frame  44 cm  x 36 cm