LG Electronics supports conservation of Vincent Van Gogh‘s masterpiece

LG Electronics said Thursday that it has been supporting a Russian museum’s project to conserve Vincent Van Gogh‘s masterpiece “The Red Vineyard in Arles.”

The company has been providing financial support, as well as equipment, to the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow for the project which began in August.

“The Red Vineyard in Arles” is a work from Van Gogh’s stay in Arles in 1888 and 1889, one of the painter’s most prolific periods. It is regarded as one of the most important works in the artist’s career, and the only painting that he is known to have sold during his lifetime.

Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts recently commence the work to restore the masterpiece to its orginal status as much as possible.

According to LG Electronics, which quoted the research team from the museum, the painting currently has several cracks, the most obvious sign of aging. Changes have been also found in colors as it was painted with pigments consisting of lead chromate, which degrades over time.

The artwork is currently only available to researchers and conservators from the Pushkin State Museum and other restoration institutes.

Researchers will carry out comprehensive technical and technological studies, which will help better understand the technology behind the painting, LG Electronics said.

LG Electronics added the research team has already found that “The Red Vineyard in Arles” has pigment marks mistakenly left from another painting that Van Gogh sent to his brother before the paintings are fully dried. The team also identified several changes in the figures he made when he painted the piece.

The conservation project will be completed by the end of this year, and the masterpiece will be reintroduced to the public at an exhibition at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts early next year.

Starting in October, LG Electronics will also introduce a four-part documentary series that shows the conservation process via Russia’s leading online video streaming service, IVI.


By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)