Behind the scenes in Conservation

The Ugly Duchess

Britta New reveals surprising discoveries about 'The Ugly Duchess' and how the painting links Leonardo da Vinci to 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'

About

In this episode, Restorer Britta New discusses the conservation treatment of Quinten Massys's 'The Ugly Duchess', revealing discoveries made during the process, and the painting's connection to sketches by Leonardo da Vinci and John Tenniel's illustrations for 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.'

The painting – one of the best known in the National Gallery – is the focus of our free exhibition, 'The Ugly Duchess: Beauty and Satire in the Renaissance,' which invites visitors to look afresh at this familiar face.

The Ugly Duchess

Beauty and Satire in the Renaissance

16 March - 11 June 2023

This free exhibition looked afresh at one of the best-known faces in the Gallery

Watch previous episodes in the series:

Restoring Piero della Francesca's 'The Nativity'

Following its three-year conservation treatment, Jill Dunkerton reveals some surprising discoveries about Piero della Francesca’s stunning ‘Nativity’

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Behind the scenes in Conservation

Restoring the Gallery's oldest painting

Kristina Mandy shows the steps involved in restoring a painting that is over 750-years-old

Video

Behind the scenes in Conservation

A sky of 500-year-old fingerprints

Larry Keith retouches a recently repaired panel painting by Piero di Cosimo, and reveals the marks this Renaissance artist left in his work

Video

Behind the scenes in Conservation

Cleaning Constable's 'The Hay Wain'

Paul Ackroyd reveals some of 'The Hay Wain's' hidden details which have been brought to life through cleaning

Video

Behind the scenes in Conservation

Cleaning Reynolds' 'Captain Robert Orme'

Hayley Tomlinson reveals why paintings by Reynolds are notoriously difficult to clean

Video

Behind the scenes in Conservation

Displaying 'The Red Boy'

Follow the newly-cleaned 'Red Boy's' journey from the Conservation Studio to the Gallery walls

Video

Behind the scenes in Conservation

A first look at 'The Red Boy'

Paul Ackroyd introduces Lawrence's 'Red Boy' – a work so popular it was the first-ever painting to feature on a British postage stamp

Video

Behind the scenes in Conservation

Restoring Piero della Francesca's 'Nativity'

Caroline Campbell and Jill Dunkerton discuss the conservation of Piero della Francesca's miraculous Christmas scene

Video

Behind the scenes in Conservation

Cleaning 150-year-old varnish from a Frans Hals portrait

Paul Ackroyd cleans a portrait that has not been restored since 1876

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Behind the scenes in Conservation

Cleaning the 'lost altarpiece'

Britta New and Nelly von Aderkas discuss the cleaning of a Renaissance altarpiece that was hidden in an Italian wood store for many years

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Behind the scenes in Conservation

The unfashionable artist who inspired Van Gogh

Kristina Mandy discusses Adolphe Monticelli, an artist admired in his lifetime, who inspired Van Gogh's famous 'Sunflowers', but who later fell out of fashion

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Behind the scenes in Conservation

Restoring an 'undisplayable' painting: Part two

Kendall Francis and Larry Keith discuss the restoration of a work with a 'snowstorm' of painting loss

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Restoring an 'undisplayable' painting: Part one

Larry Keith reveals an exciting discovery about Piazzetta's unfinished work, 'The Sacrifice of Isaac', and explains the plan for the painting's restoration

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Behind the scenes in Conservation

Restoring Botticelli's 'Adoration of the Kings': Part one

Jill Dunkerton and Britta New find out what was hiding beneath a frame for nearly two centuries

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Behind the scenes in Conservation

Restoring Botticelli's 'Adoration of the Kings': Part two

Watch Jill Dunkerton as she retouches a Renaissance masterpiece

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Behind the scenes in Conservation

Restoring Botticelli's 'Adoration of the Kings': Part three

Jill Dunkerton and Marta Melchiorre ask, how can we identify Botticelli's hand from that of his assistant, Filippino Lippi's?

Video