In this exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Accademia Women: Violante project, experienced restorers Elizabeth Wicks and Marina Vincenti explain their findings so far as they revitalize three paintings from the Certosa di Firenze monastery attributed to 18th-century artist Violante Siriès Cerroti. These technical captions help decode pictures worth a thousand words.
Conservators converse
“As we address the larger painting’s areas of lost pigment, our aim is to reconstruct the damaged areas, so that they are distinguishable as a conservation intervention when viewed up close. Yet, it cannot interfere with the readability of the image. Therein, lies one of the skills of (or the handiwork of) the restorer!”
An exact tracing of hands
“On a sheet of silicon release mylar, we trace the areas of lost pigment. To help with the reconstruction of the damaged areas, especially the Madonna’s hands, the tracing will be compared with other paintings by the same artist, such as her large altarpiece at the Florence church of Santa Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi.”
Mapping in progress
“While I map the losses, Marina applies gouache pigment to small areas of original paint loss. Once the filling material is applied, this is the first step in the application of color, which will be continued with pure pigments ground in varnish medium after the painting receives a coat of varnish.”
This restoration and awareness-raising project known as Accademia Women: Violante is supported by the Advancing Women Artist Legacy Fund and organized by the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno and Syracuse University in Florence. Restoration findings will be shared with the general public on June 3, 2025 during a seminar at the AADFI. Save the date!
