The Conservation of D G Rossetti’s ‘La Ghirlandata’ and its frame (at Guildhall Art Gallery)

"‘it is my very best picture — no inch of it worse than another’ "

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) La Ghirlandata, 1873 Oil on canvas 123 x 87cm Medallion Frame, c.1873 Wood, gesso and gold leaf, 156 x 122cm.

In January 2019, La Ghirlandata was removed from display for a year-long conservation project to restore the painting and its original medallion frame.

The painting came into the City of London Corporation’s collection in 1927 and had not been comprehensively restored or researched since. The paint film was vulnerable to loss, and the frame was weak and susceptible to damage. Both painting and frame were compromised by dirt, discoloured coatings, and old restoration techniques.

The project included full structural and aesthetic treatment, and a comprehensive technical examination of both painting and frame. The aim was to return Rossetti’s masterpiece to its full intensity and power, supported by an enhanced understanding of the artist’s techniques, to be appreciated by the widest possible audience.

The project was successfully completed and the painting was re-hung on 30 January 2020.

The conservation treatments were funded by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project, which provides grants to non-profit museums to conserve historically or culturally significant works of art that are in danger of degeneration, including those designated as national treasures.

Visit the Guildhall Art Gallery website for more information and visiting guidance: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/guildhallartgallery