“By order of His Majesty the King”: The Painter-Restorers of the Art Collection of Ferdinand II of Portugal

Abstract

This study reveals and discusses the role played by five painter-restorers – António Manuel da Fonseca, António Tomás da Fonseca, Carl Kathan, Gaetano Marmocchi, and Étienne Le Roy – at the service of King Ferdinand II of Portugal, from 1850 to 1864. It draws on a dataset of more than one hundred and fifty restored paintings, used here as evidence of the painter-restorers’ activity and versatility in the private art market, as well as of the king’s commitment to managing, repairing and preserving his collection of paintings. Ultimately, by identifying the paintings that have been restored by order of the “Artist King” and relating them to the restorers, this research opens the door for direct analyses and a more precise characterization of the methods and techniques used by these painter-restorers in 19th century Europe.

Keywords

• painter-restorers
• history of conservation
• royal collections
• art market