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From 19 December to 12 December 2023, Room 11 (second floor) at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum is hosting a special installation which once more displays The Virgin of Humility by Fra Angelico, after having completed restoration work.

The restored painting is on display alongside two ancient instruments, similar to those depicted by the artist in the composition.  There is also an explanatory video on the work carried out by the restoration team. Over recent months, the restorers have undertaken a complex process of technical study, identifying the materials used in the painting’s creation, taking chemical analyses and obtaining technical images, such as X-radiographs and infra-red reflectographs, enabling them to study the painting more clearly and effectively.  

This reveals Fra Angelico’s creative process and provides the necessary information to embark on the restoration with absolute respect. Following its ephemeral exhibition in Madrid, the painting will return to the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), where it is usually on display as part of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection.

Thanks to the work of the restorers and the support of Bank of America, which has included it in the Art Conservation Project programme, as beneficiary of one of the 19 international grants awarded in 2022 for the restoration and preservation of works of art, this painting shines as it has always done, allowing visitors to continue observing one of the most majestic paintings, such as the Virgin of Humility by Fra Angélico.

Image Credit:

The Virgin of Humility, around 1433 - 1435. Fra Angelico (Fra Giovanni da Fiesole). Tempera on panel.  98.6 x 49.2 cm. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, deposited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC)