Verso la creazione di un patrimonio storico-artistico
Il restauro pittorico nelle collezioni reali e pubbliche in Prussia (1760-1830)
abstract
Efforts to preserve paintings in the Prussian royal collections in the eighteenth century aimed mainly at repairing damage caused by war or inadequate storage, and at presenting them in representative and educational settings. After the Napoleonic Wars, this first aim of emphasising the dignity and timeless beauty of the works was supplemented by an ideal of ‘truth’ as a presumed historical originality, which had to be preserved or recreated. This ideal was partially linked to a nationalistic patriotism and led not only to professionalisation, by creating a special school of restoration, but also to a renewed artistic heritage.
Keywords: Conservation • Art history • Restoration • History of museums • History of collections • Paintings • Romanticism • Prussia