Vasari mural was damaged during the flood in Florence in 1966. Divided into parts, it held for decades in the vaults, modern technology has allowed the restoration and proceed to the first step to restore the integrity of its panels

Giorgio Vasari The Last Supper . 1546
Source : blogs.getty.edu

in Florence, in a restoration laboratory Opificio delle Pietre Dure (OPD) have restored the integrity of the panel "The Last Supper" of the legendary artist and biographer Giorgio Vasari .

This monumental creation in 1546 size of 2.4 by 6.4 meters was in the Florentine Basilica of Santa Croce in 1966, when he was flooded water and mud from the river Arno. Within about 12 hours in the panels were water, and its lower portion under water even longer. Immediately after the floods have taken the necessary measures to save the panel : to speed up the drying, the work was divided into five parts , to prevent peeling paint , the surface is covered with a special paper panels . However, beyond that the restorers have not moved : in those years did not exist technologies that would allow such a complex restoration. Panels removed in storage until better times .

Only in 2010 , with financial support from the Getty Foundation , experts from Opificio delle Pietre Dure (OPD) were able to begin restoration . Today completed the first stage of the restoration is a very important five wooden fragments are reunited with the help of wooden dice like those used by Vasari himself . These mounts , recreated from the only surviving original fixtures Vasari, are flexible and at the same time secure connection parts, which allows the wood panels shrink and expand depending on the temperature and humidity. Another objective was to restore restorers primer , due to partial loss of the paint layer which flaked off in places and heavily cracked . Difficult, almost jewelry work . Now that part of the panels back together and paint layer does not peel off from the base at risk , you can proceed to the final stage - the actual preservation of the paint layer . For conservation will go at least another two years. Probable date of the end of the restoration of " The Last Supper " - 2016 .

This restoration project is good for yet another reason. It was originally conceived as a teaching . Specialists in restoration of oil paintings of the old masters on a wooden base can be counted on the fingers , and they are not young . To train a new generation of skilled professionals - a goal pursued Getty Foundation , funds for restoration "Last Supper" with the proviso that in the course of this work will be trained seven young restorers primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Process led by experienced mentors Kiro Castelli (Ciro Castelli) and Mauro Parry (Mauro Parri).

Prepared by Mary Onuchina , AI

Sources : blogs.getty.edu , nytimes.com , artinvestment.ru