Painting conservator Elizabeth Wicks will share her recent restoration process for the ceiling painting Allegory of Inclination, created for Michelangelo’s home, now at the Casa Buonarroti Museum in Florence. This work, completed in 1616 by Artemisia Gentileschi, the most celebrated female painter of the 17th century, was the first frontal female nude ever painted by a woman artist. Gentileschi’s allegorical figure depicting ‘the natural talent for creativity,’ using herself as a model, was later considered overtly risqué. About fifty years after the work was painted, the Buonarroti family called in a well-known Italian Baroque artist, Il Volterrano, who covered the figure with censoring drapery and veils.

Utilizing scientific analysis and modern technology, Wicks was able to reveal how the original painting looked. She will describe the methodology and her journey in discovering the mystery in this masterpiece.

Date: Friday, November 15

Time: 12 PM - 1 PM

Location: Metcalf Auditorium, RISD

Address: Chace Center, 20 N Main St, Providence, RI 02903

Admission: Register Here