The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, long haunted by one of the art world's most notorious mysteries, has recently made significant strides in restoring its Dutch Room. Conservators successfully identified the original fabric for a set of 17th-century chairs, a notable achievement amidst the museum's ongoing restoration efforts.
This latest development comes in the shadow of the infamous 1990 art heist, during which three masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Manet were stolen from the museum, leaving their fate unknown. The current restoration project aims to return the Dutch Room to its historical glory, with a focus on reviving the aesthetic of the space.
According to reports, much of the restoration work has involved straightforward tasks such as cleaning the painted ceiling and refinishing the floors. However, the chairs presented a unique challenge due to their multiple reupholsterings over the years, which obscured their original fabric.
Anna Rose Keefe, the museum's textile conservator, likened her investigative process to that of detectives piecing together clues. "A lot of the visuals around this feel very Law and Order to me," she remarked, highlighting the meticulous nature of her work.
In line with the vision of the museum's founder, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Holly Salmon, the director of conservation, emphasized the importance of honoring Gardner's intentions during the restoration. The chairs, once covered with a different fabric since the 1970s, were found to have originally featured a striking striped upholstery.
Determining the original color was a challenge, as black-and-white photographs did not reveal the true hue. To assist in this endeavor, conservators utilized Palette, an AI platform that colorizes historical images. This innovative approach, combined with the discovery of a faded thread, confirmed that the chairs were originally adorned in a vibrant red with pink stripes.
The chairs have now been reupholstered to reflect their original splendor, embodying the vibrant aesthetic that Gardner favored. Keefe noted, "She likes a silk that's really shiny. She likes something that's really going to pop in the space."
As the restoration of the Dutch Room progresses, which includes the renowned Rembrandt painting Self-Portrait, Age 23, the project is expected to be completed by early 2027. At that time, the museum anticipates that "young Rembrandt will look out over a room beautifully restored, much closer to Isabella's original vision, and ready to welcome back the stolen works when they someday return (we hope and believe) to their rightful home."
