The autumn of 2023 will see the start of the restoration of Peter Paul Rubens’ gigantic altarpiece Enthroned Madonna Adored by Saints. Due to the monumental size of the masterpiece, the restoration has to be carried out in a museum gallery. The Enthroned Madonna Adored by Saints is so large that Studio Rubens takes up no less than a quarter of the Rubens Gallery. The KMSKA makes a virtue of necessity and is creating a special setting for it: Studio Rubens. There, the masterpiece will undergo two years of patient restoration.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Enthroned Madonna Adored by Saints, 1628
Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp
Restorers and researchers have been working intensively for months on devising an imposing scaffold in order to make the Enthroned Madonna sparkle once again. Visitors will be able to follow the restoration from a distance. Prior to the restoration, the KMSKA’s collection research team, in cooperation with the University of Antwerp, will conduct research.
The six phases of the restoration (image: KMSKA ©)