Published 2026-07-15
Keywords
- History of conservation/restoration,
- Ugo Baldi,
- Charles Eastlake,
- Ulisse Forni,
- Antonio and Piero del Pollaiuolo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
This paper considers Florence as a center of paintings conservation expertise during the nineteenth century as this intersects with the collecting activities of the first Director of the National Gallery in London, Charles Eastlake (1793–1865). The city’s renown for restoration was built upon a long history of practice. For several paintings that Eastlake acquired in Florence in the 1850s, archival documents allow the reconstruction of facets of their conservation histories, notably Eastlake’s prescriptive role in directing the treatments. His patronage of the noted restorer Ugo Baldi and the subsequent re-restoration of works in London are detailed. Restoration facilitated the movement of these artworks and shaped their appearances. The essay briefly considers the relationship of the 1864 restoration manual by Ulisse Forni (1814–1864) to Eastlake’s writings on painting technique. The historical situation contains lessons applicable to modern conservation practice.