For nearly a century, “The Blue Boy” has been a leading draw for the Huntington Library, and for much of the next 12 months, visitors can witness a large part of the artwork’s restoration.
Paintings conservator Christine O’Connell shows two visitors part of the Huntington Library’s new exhibit which showcases the live restoration of the famed “Blue Boy” painting, shown in the background.
Project Blue Boy kicked off Saturday in the Thorn-ton Portrait Gallery, where a conservation studio was created alongside several pieces of didactic material that essentially make an exhibit out of the restoration process. There the venerable painting, the English artist Thomas Gainsborough’s signature work, recently awaited its audience, propped up on a large easel instead of hanging in its usual ornate centerpiece portrait on the western wall.
“Very few art institutions can be associated with one iconic work of art,” said Catherine Hess, the Huntington’s chief curator of European art, during a special preview of the exhibit. “This is a very important thing for us. This work of art has captivated generations and now will be able to do so for generations to come.” Continue reading “Watch as Huntington’s ‘Blue Boy’ Is Spruced Up”
