From rust being washed off some old pots to dirt removed from crevices between tiles, watching something return to its previous state is oddly satisfying and art pieces are no exception to that principle.
Not too long ago we shared a video of art expert Philip Mould removing the old varnish off a 400-year-old painting, which since then has gone viral. The fascinating process of painting restoration garnered attention on Tumblr where people were quick to demand the same thing to be done to Leonardo Da Vinci's famous 'Mona Lisa.' A tempting idea, especially after seeing how beautiful the 'Woman In Red' looked after Mould's treatment. In fact, some restoration work was done in 1809 on the original Mona Lisa, and that's why it looks so 'washed out' as some layers of paint were removed during the process.
A Tumblr user named Eleanor quickly explained what would happen if someone tried to restore the famous painting to its original state. From introducing us to Leonardo's painting techniques to the whole process of oil painting conservation, Eleanor explained why the restoration wouldn't be worth the risk.
More info: Tumblr
Not too long ago the internet was fascinated by Philip Mould's restoration of 400-year-old 'Woman In Red'
He used a mixture of gel and solvent, created specifically for this art piece, to remove the yellow varnish
“A mixture of gel and solvent was created, specifically just to remove the varnish and not to damage the underlying paint”
“It’s different from normal restoration, with the gel suspending the solvent and working more controllably”
After seeing Mould's work, people of Tumblr quickly demanded this be done to Da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa,' however, a user named Eleanor was quick to explain what would happen if someone did that
