William Hogarth’s Triptych for St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol: How to deal with enormous artworks in public collections

This presentation situates Hogarth’s altarpiece for St Mary Redcliffe in the context of early- and mid-eighteenth century English history painting, and offers an assessment of its significance for the wider history of British art.

Download British Art Network: How to Deal With Enormous Artworks - Michael Liversidge (MP3, 44.6 MB)

Drawing on examples of large works from the Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives collection including the recently acquired Delhi Durbar by Roderick Mackenzie, Noahs Ark by Jan Griffier and the Betrayal of Christ by Van Dyck, this talk looks at conservation challenges for moving, travelling and installing large canvases.

Download British Art Network: How to Deal With Enormous Artworks - Carolyn Lamb (MP3, 21.2 MB)

With the reopening of the Rijksmuseum in 2013 Rembrandt’s Nightwatch returned to its appointed place at the very heart of the museum. This homecoming was an ambitious and carefully organized operation. In his talk Pieter Roelofs discusses the challenges and precautions that were taken to make the painting visible again.

Download British Art Network: How to Deal With Enormous Artworks - Pieter Roelofs (MP3, 15.9 MB)

When Kingston Lacy was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1981, ‘The Separation of Day and Night’ by Guido Reni was removed due to its poor condition.  In 2006, it was decided to conserve the painting and re-instate it on the Library ceiling.  In this talk Christine Sitwell describes the difficulties and challenges in the removal and re-instatement as well the conservation treatment and the issues related to its display.

Download British Art Network: How to Deal With Enormous Artworks - Christine Sitwell (MP3, 15.9 MB)