The Prado recovers the splendor of “San Pedro Penitente” Murillo – Pulse of San Luis (Press Release)

Following extensive restoration, the painting will be exhibited temporarily / Photo: EFE

Madrid, Sep 10 (EFE) .- The Prado Museum has recovered the splendor of “Penitente San Pedro de los Venerables” box Bartolome Esteban Murillo, who after undergoing a careful restoration, now hangs from one wall temporarily.

“Today we recover a national treasure,” said Prado director Miguel Zugaza in Room 17 of the Villanueva building where the box will be on display until January 17, 2016, at it will return to its original place, the Hospital of the Venerables, current headquarters of the Focus-Abengoa Foundation, which has worked with the museum restoration.

The canvas, painted by Murillo on request Justino de Neve, one of the patrons of the painter, was bequeathed to the Hospital of the Venerable in 1685, where he was seized by the French during the War of Independence.

Since 2005 the work was in the hands of a collector of Iranian origin who lived in the Isle of Man, in the UK, which was discovered three years ago, thanks to an exhibition of Justino de Neve organized by the Prado, the Focus-Abengoa Foundation and the Dulwich Gallery in London.

“virtually” in the words of the head of the collection of Murillo in the Prado Museum, Javier Portus, conservative Missing picture there was only a “bad photograph in black and white.”

“The rebirth of the box allow it to be appreciated to the extent that he deserves,” said Portus, who described it as a “cornerstone to define the artistic part of the author.”

Your temporary stay in room 17, surrounded by other paintings by the Sevillian painter, serves to contextualize the work in the author’s career as Portús.

“San Pedro Penitente” uses technical resources of character markedly naturalist, despite belonging to the most mature stage of Murillo, but defines one of its works more monumental scale and content.

After a technical study on the painting, although he was in a good condition upon arrival in Spain was something dark, dull and without volume, it was carried out intervention work by restorative Maria Alvarez, who has worked in other paintings by the artist.

“The restoration has been a vehicle, a means to retrieve the message that Murillo had spilled and was lost,” said Alvarez.