Page 16 - Dream of Italy - December 2021/January 2022

mosaics and strengthening the brickwork behind the
mosaics to ensure the walls of the church could support
the weight of thousands of tiny tesserae. Where mosaic
pieces had been lost, the area was filled in with paint so
that the gaps are not visible from a distance.
During the restoration process on Torcello, workers
discovered never-before-seen and previously unknown
frescoes from the ninth century, painted in a Carolingian
decorative style and depicting the Virgin Mary and Saint
Martin. These frescoes were eventually covered over by
the mosaics, and prove that the church attracted Western
European artistic styles alongside Byzantine art.

History of Art Patronage
The roots of modern conservation sponsorship extend
back to the era of art patronage, which was prevalent in
Church of San Sebastiano Venice. Unlike Florence and other cities dominated by
noble families like the Medici, Venice was a city of elected
16 of the paint and understand what they need to remove, officials and merchants who earned their wealth from
clean and repair. professions such as shipping, trade and navigation.
DE C 2021 / JA N 2022 those earlier restorers likely did not have the same tools government commissioned art to showcase the city’s
Many artworks have been previously restored, but
During the Renaissance, the Venetian Republic
culture to foreign traders coming to buy silk or spices, or
and understanding of how to best preserve the pieces, nor
the proper paints and pigments to replicate the original
to diplomats visiting on government business. As a result,
color palettes. Meanwhile, architecture requires constant
even the most obscure, off-the-beaten-path churches have
art by great masters like Titian.
maintenance, especially given the humid climate and
“Certain artists were promoted by particular noble
Drea m of Ita ly seafront location. families, who would want that artist to decorate their
With a team of experts such as art historians and
artists at hand, Save Venice works on restoring 40 to 60
chapel in a certain church. There were also private collec-
projects at a time, whether on site around the city or in
tions that now have become part of the state museums or
the city museums. The Venetian Republic commissioned
its restoration lab. Some of the more noteworthy projects
can be found at the Church of San Sebastiano, the Basilica
had to show off. They wanted everyone to come here and
they have tackled—all of which you can see in Venice— artworks because Venice was the motherland and they
of Santa Maria Assunta on Torcello and the Church of be in awe. Venice was meant to shine, and you had to show
Santa Maria and San Donato. the best of everything.” says Conn. “Now that we have the
In restoring the 16th-century Church of San Biennale, Venice continues to be at the center of an artistic
Sebastiano, Save Venice focused on Paolo Veronese’s wall scene.”
and ceiling frescoes as well as oil paintings on wood Now, that support for
and canvas. Conservators stripped yellowed varnish and the creation of art has
excess paint from the massive ceiling frescoes illustrating turned into support of
the story of Esther from the Old Testament to restore patronage for preservation.
Veronese’s original color palette and protect the wooden Sponsors are always needed
frames surrounding the paintings. to fund Save Venice’s
The team also took measures to prevent humidity and work—individual works CA’ REZZONICO MUSEUM
saltwater—two natural enemies of art conservation prev- of art, buildings or parts of
alent in the Venice lagoon—from entering San Sebastiano projects can be adopted for
by treating the porous brick walls and façade, weather- conservation—and the orga- Portrait of Lucietta Pellegrini
Sartori by Rosalba Carriera
izing windows and installing new flood barriers. nization has made its name
At the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta on the island on fundraising for and restoring 1,672 works of art during
of Torcello, conservationists worked simultaneously its lifetime. The projects highlighted in this issue range
on restoring more than 2,400 square feet of Byzantine from $3,000 for a group of three pastel portraits by female