Gustave Moreau's Greek vases. Study and restoration

Restoration of a work of art provides the opportunity to update direct evidence regarding its history; in the case of classical pieces that have belonged to collections owned by artists, this history is further enriched by all affective and artistic context. It is important to attempt to recreate this context as accurately as possible since it determines critical options to be followed. During recent restoration of a number of Greek and Itatiot vases from the Musee Gustave Moreau, earlier restoration work was deliberately left intact. At the same time, research was carried out regarding the origin of the small ensemble that. had been acquired by the artist's father and had always formed part of his familiar surroundings. Analysis of older restoration work prior to the Baron Gros (1835) and Durand (1836) sales when, as is now known. Louis Moreau acquired the pieces, has shed light, oil their provenance -the Neapolitan market- and the presumed period at which they were restored. It has furthermore revealed the existence, in the early 19(th) century, of one or several workshops where respect for classical form and design gave rise to high quality restorations, a fact that has long been overshadowed by the predominance of studies of vases from the Camparia collection.