Restoration is under way in Kansas City on one of El Greco’s great paintings, thanks to a grant from Bank of America.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art this week announced the grant from the bank’s global Art Conservation Project.
The painting “The Penitent Magdalene” from 1578 was among 25 projects the bank chose for grants last year.
The painting is among the first acquired by the Nelson and was purchased in 1930, three years before the museum opened.
Julian Zugazagoitia, CEO of the Nelson, said: “This funding makes it possible for future generations to learn from and enjoy this El Greco masterpiece, and also allow it to travel to Toledo, Spain in 2014, when the 400th anniversary of El Greco’s death will be celebrated.”
After an examination of the painting and study of others by the artist, conservation work started last year by Scott Heffley, a senior conservator at the Nelson.
“The Penitent Magdalene needed some careful attention and repair, with lots of over-paint covering damages that occurred to the painting perhaps hundreds of years ago,” Heffley said.
He used a microscope and scalpel to remove old restoration work and will soon start rebuilding the damaged parts, he said.
Bank of America is involved in a wide range of art programs, including loans of art to museums, sponsorships and grants for preservation and education,
Rena DeSisto, Global Arts and Culture Executive at Bank of America, said, “Art has a unique ability to connect people and communities and to help economies thrive.”
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