Denver Zoo Helps Denver Art Museum With Centuries-Old Painting
DENVER (CBS4)- The Denver Zoo helped out the Denver Art Museum on Monday with an examination of a painting completed in 1700.
The zoo provided an X-Ray machine, normally meant for large animals like polar bears, to the art museum so they could learn more about a centuries-old painting.
The painting was completed in 1700 by Mexican artist Cristobal de Villalpando.
The conservationists can compare notes with what they learned about the painting and possibly even recreate similar styles.
There are only three of de Villalpando's 17 paintings in the U.S. Two are part of the collection at the Denver Art Museum. The one being examined has some damage.
"A significant portion of the inscription is gone to us, which I still keep holding out that we'll find some sort of printed reference from an earlier time of what it is, but so far our analytical techniques haven't been able to tell us anything about that," said Denver Art Museum Director of Conservation Sarah Melching.
Bank of America's Art Conservation Project funded the analysis. Once the analysis is finished, the results will help guide conservationists through the restoration process.