Paintings from Murano by Paolo Veronese restored by Venetian Heritage with the support of Bulgari

Curated by Paola Marini and Roberta Battaglia

Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice
11 May – 17 September 2017

Funding
Bulgari;
Venetian Heritage

The exhibition celebrated two Paolo Veronese paintings from the church of san Pietro Martire in Murano. The paintings have been restored by Venetian Heritage with the generous support of Bulgari.
The large canvases showing Saint Jerome in the Desert and Saint Agatha Visited in Prison by Saint Peter were commissioned by Francesco degli Alberi, the priest of the church of Saint Mary of the Angels in Murano, and painted by Veronese in 1566. They were originally held in the private chapel built alongside the church on the priest’s orders. In 1667 the paintings were relocated to the nearby church of Saint Mary of the Angels. The very elaborate frames in gilded wood were most likely sculpted around this period. The church was deconsecrated during the French occupation at the beginning of the 19^th century, and some of the works kept there were transferred to the neighbouring church of San Pietro Martire.
The paintings and the frames were in a poor state: the heavy over-varnishing applied over the years had darkened, making it difficult to appreciate Veronese’s brilliant colours, while the gilt was peeling off the frames, leaving visible gaps. The restoration has successfully brought back to life these two 16^th century masterpieces of Venetian painting.
Venetian Heritage, with the support of Bulgari, has partnered with two of the world’s most prestigious museums and will organise two exhibitions dedicated to these masterpieces allowing the wider public to appreciate the restoration process.
The first, Murano Paintings by Paolo Veronese Restored by Venetian Heritage with the Support of Bulgari, will be inaugurated at Venice’s most important art museum, the Gallerie dell’Accademia on Thursday May 11 2017, which coincides with the opening of the Venice Biennale. The second exhibition, Veronese in Murano: Two Venetian Renaissance Masterpieces Restored, will inaugurate on 24^th October 2017 at the celebrated Frick Collection in New York.