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RAFFLES MAGAZINE
SIMON GILLESPIE
Restorative power
Relics, antiquities and artworks from throughout history connect us with our past, and their preservation ensures they are appreciated far into
the future, as London’s Simon Gillespie Studio proves. Inspired by an eye-opening visit to a studio in Mexico City, where he witnessed “rather flippant methods being used,” art conservator and restorer Simon Gillespie has over 40 years’ experience breathing new life into works by some of the world’s most renowned artists. Entrusted by leading museums, galleries, auction houses and collectors to care for masterpieces old and new, he has revived national treasures by the likes of Sir Anthony van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, as well as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, David Hockney and even the elusive street artist Banksy.
Taking a tactile approach to each piece, whether created by an Old Master or a modern maestro, Gillespie is passionate about his profession precisely because “it deals with cultural objects that you can actually pick up and hold, which isn’t something you could do in a museum”. Gillespie, along with his team of highly-trained restorers, meticulously inspects each work to distinguish where patina begins and dirt ends.
With a mix of items of all periods and styles coming and going through the doors over the years, the studio has developed a magic touch for restoring any artwork to its original glory, a process which in turn brings great satisfaction to Simon. “Restoring the self-portrait of Frans Hals was a particular highlight,” he says. “I felt he was sitting over my shoulder, guiding me.”
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simongillespie.com