PRICELESS ARTWORK SET TO BE RESTORED
RESTORATION work can now start on a priceless work of French art at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Amgueddfa Cymru houses one of the world’s great collections of 19th – and early 20th-century French art.
And one of the jewels in the crown is a work by Édouard Manet (18321883), called Portrait de Monsieur Jules Dejouy (1879).
Now, the European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) has announced Amgueddfa Cymru is to receive €20,000, as part of the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund.
With TEFAF’s funding, the museum will restore Manet’s Portrait de Monsieur Jules Dejouy, a piece the museum secured in 2019 after more than 90 years in the same private family collection.
Jules Dejouy (1815-1894) was not only Manet’s older cousin, but also an important figure in the artist’s life. He was a successful lawyer, appointed to the Imperial Court in France in 1849.
The oil on canvas work, originally owned by Dejouy, has remained in a relatively untouched condition, which is rare for a work of this period.
The project will involve an exciting technical examination and conservation, leading to an improved understanding of the portrait, its presentation, and legibility as an artwork.
David Anderson, Director General Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, said: “This prestigious award from The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) will enable National Museum Wales to restore and then re-introduce Manet’s Portrait of Monsieur Jules Dejouy to the public after more than 90 years.”
Adam Webster, Chief Conservator Art, Natural Sciences and Presentive Conservations at National Museum Wales, said: “The painting is currently under a veil of surface dirt and discoloured varnish. Removing these will likely recover the subtlety in the painting and also re-saturate the image to recover a sense of depth.”
Ashok Roy, former Director of Science and Collections at the National Gallery in London and TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund Committee Member, said: “Partnering with National Museum Wales on this project of discovery, scholarship, and conservation is a privilege and a pleasure. The TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund is honored to help preserve this important, and up until now, little-known picture by a cherished artist for generations to come.”
The TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund was established in 2012 in order to support and promote the professional restoration and related scholarly research of significant museum artworks.
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales is a family of seven museums and a collections centre, which are all free to enter thanks to the support of the Welsh Government. Together, it is home to the nation’s art, history, heritage and science collections, which will continue to grow so that they can be used and enjoyed by both present and future generations.