Conservation Campaign
The conservation of Tintoretto’s colossal canvas began in spring 2022 with the installation of a scaffolding structure rising 21 feet high and 40 feet wide. Divided into three levels, it gave CBC conservators full access to every inch of the painting. The towering worksite was designed so that visitors could continue to admire the masterpiece from below, while a video by Giovanni Pellegrini of Ginko Film documented the conservation and shared its progress with the public.
In early 2023, the CBC firm conducted a non-invasive diagnostic campaign on the painting, using ultraviolet and infrared (IR) photography to identify areas of damage and deterioration. Guided by these findings, conservation treatment began in spring 2023 to address multiple condition issues. The conservators faced numerous challenges: removing layers of yellowed varnish, glue residues, compacted dust, and discolored retouching left by earlier interventions. Only after this meticulous cleaning could they reintegrate areas of paint loss and abrasion—a careful process that concluded with the application of a protective final varnish. The team also carried out treatment on the painted frieze above the Crucifixion, ensuring the entire ensemble was restored to coherence.
On April 12, 2025, authorities and hundreds of Venetians filled the halls of the Scuola to witness the unveiling of the newly restored canvas in a moment of collective celebration.
The conservation worksite in the Sala dell’Albergo, with the CBC conservation team working from the three-story scaffolding
Conservator Lucia Tito (CBC) cleaning the figure of Christ
The bust of Christ after cleaning, revealing paint losses and surface abrasions
The fainting Virgin Mary after the filling of paint losses, with initial painterly integration
Detail of the dress of one of the Three Marys, showing abrasions and the initial stages of filling and painterly integration
Detail of the head of Joseph of Arimathea, with a large lacuna filled and partially reintegrated
Photographer Matteo De Fina at work
The CBC conservation team at work, from left to right: Ramona Scamporrino, Giulia Rioda, Caterina Barnaba, and Irena Shyamanska
Pictorial integration being carried out by conservator Giulia Rioda (CBC)
The CBC conservation team at the inauguration of the restored painting, from left to right: Giulia Rioda, Caterina Barnaba, Lucia Tito, Ramona Scamporrino, and Irena Shyamanska
Conservation Campaign
Participants
Owner | Scuola Grande Arciconfraternita di San Rocco
Funding | Save Venice Inc., with a contribution from Arnold M. Bernstein
Conservation treatment | CBC Conservazione Beni Culturali
Restoration project and technical site management | Caterina Barnaba
Project managers | Alfredo Baroncini and Fabiano Pasqualetto
Director of artistic and historical research | Maria Agnese Chiari Moretto Wiel
Security coordinator | Giordano Ghezzo
Supervision | Soprintendenza, Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la Città Metropolitana di Venezia: Fabrizio Magani, Irene Spada, Ileana Della Puppa
Photographic documentation | Matteo De Fina
Video documentation | Ginko Film, Giovanni Pellegrini
Diagnostic investigations | S.T. Art-Test
Scaffolding | Edilnoleggi Valente