Gallery offers online window onto restoration of classic image

GET lost in one of Ireland’s best known paintings by looking up the National Gallery’s online project, which allows you to follow the restoration of Daniel Maclise’s The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife.

This 19th-century painting by the Corkman depicts the 1170 marriage of Princess Aoife, the daughter of Dermot MacMurrough, to the Norman leader Strongbow, following the capture of Waterford.

The National Gallery has been the proud owner of the painting since 1879.

In October last year, it began a restoration project so that the piece could be preserved for future generations.

Restoration of such a large work of art (309cm by 505cm) is a massive undertaking and preparation of the painting for rolling alone took many weeks.

A gallery spokesman said: “Initially the fragile edges were reinforced with animal glue similar in composition to the glue Maclise used in his priming layer.

“The painting was dusted to remove superficial dirt and a light Japanese tissue was adhered to the surface of the paint-layer, ensuring the painting was protected for the upcoming move.

“A drum with a one meter wide circumference was designed and built for the safe rolling of the painting.”

After that, the conservationists had to work out how they could physically move the large and heavy drum to the studio, which was up a flight of narrow stairs.

In the end, a team of transport engineers were hired to solve the problem.

“The art handling team gently wheeled the painting through the narrow door ways of the Irish rooms to the gallery atrium where the engineers had set up a crane system to crank the giant drum up to the second floor conservation studio,” the spokesman said.

“The painting was secured in a hoist and successfully moved into the second floor conservation studio where the team unrolled the painting on to a prepared platform to commence work on its reverse.”

The painting is now secure in its temporary home and work is continuing on the removal of surface coatings via scaffolding.

Half of the painting’s discoloured varnish has been removed, as has dirt built up over the years. Extensive scientific analysis of the painting’s pigments and structure will also take place using equipment supplied to the gallery and its partner, the University of Perugia, under the under the European-funded MObile LABoratory access programme.

*To follow the ongoing restoration work, visit www.nationalgallery.ie