Antwerp, Mar 16 (US): Transporting a masterpiece is never easy, even more so when it measures 4.11 x 6.75 m (13.5 ft by 22.1 ft) and weighs 560 kg (1,225 lb).
That’s the scale of Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens’ “Baptism of Christ” (1605), the jewel in the crown of Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts, The Associated Press reports.
The painting was moved from storage on Tuesday before the museum reopened after more than a decade of renovations.
“We know exactly where each work will be hung or placed,” said Carmen Willems, the museum’s general director. “Our special team of curators and restorers, along with experienced art couriers and art therapists, will ensure that this delicate undertaking is completed successfully.”
After an 11-year hiatus due to renovations, the artwork has returned from its slumber. The renovation was originally scheduled for 2017, but it took five years longer than planned.
During this time, nearly 4,000 artworks have traveled around the world, while the atelier has worked in-house restoring just over 130 paintings and sculptures.
On Tuesday, the first massive Rubens-style building was moved from the museum’s indoor warehouse — two stories below and a nuclear bomb shelter — to the newly renovated exhibition hall.
Due to its size, the painting remained the same during the renovation. It was lifted via a special trap built into the ground and lifted by a pulley and the capable hands of a group of art professionals.
When the panel appeared inch by inch, the panel was facing the wall and then pulled on a soft cloth by workers on a scaffold. A crowd of event invitees patiently waited for the painting to return and see it in all its glory.
This is not the first time such a painting has appeared from a cache. The special trap and pulley system were also used during World War II to safely conceal large pieces of art from thieves.
When the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp reopens its doors in September, the centuries-old artwork will be incorporated into a more modern and elegant interior, a newly improved climate-controlled environment and, on the whole, a brighter and cleaner space. For those who lost a little nostalgia, the iconic burgundy sofas will remain in showrooms.
While Antwerp residents have missed one of their best-known and sought-after museums for more than a decade, more than 6.7 million other people have had the opportunity to view art, whether it’s on loan or part of an exhibition at other museums. The main idea was not to keep it locked and on for the duration of the work.
“The Flemish masters have finally gone home,” said Luk Lemmens, head of the museum.
The works will be reinstalled in phases. A selection of 650 artworks from a total collection of 8,400 pieces will soon be on display.
In addition to Rubens, the museum also contains four large-format paintings by Anthony van Dyck, another Flemish master of the 17th century.
Works that do not constitute the exhibition within the Museum will be made available via the digital collection catalog on the website.