One of Vincent van Gogh’s most prized paintings, The Bedroom (1888), is about to undergo restoration.  As it is a crowd favorite at Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, those in charge of the work’s restoration had the idea to document the process with a blog – www.vangoghmuseum.com/bedroomsecrets –so that art fans can track the whole procedure.  The Van Gogh Museum bloggers are Ella Henricks, head of conservation; Fleur Roos Rosa de Carvalho, assistant curator; and Axel Rüger, director of the Van Gogh Museum.  All three have a close relationship to the work and care passionately about its conservation.

Vincent’s bedroom in Arles, 1888, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Oil on canvas, 72 x 90 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Van Gogh himself felt a special connection to The Bedroom as well, as he expressed in his letters to his brother Theo.  He painted it during his time in the Yellow House in Arles, and sent his brother Theo and friend Paul Gauguin multiple sketches of the painting.

The plan to restore Van Gogh’s masterpiece was based on extensive examination done last year.  The work underwent damage from the beginning, living in Van Gogh’s damp studio, and it was first restored in 1930. Further preservation of the work is necessary, and it has been waiting patiently in line for restoration since the 1980s.

Those missing the painting at the museum can visit the exhibit Bedroom secrets, Restoration of a masterpiece, and via blog, follow the beloved masterpiece along its way to being preserved for future generations to admire.

Tags: Bedroom Secrets Restoration of a Masterpiece, restoration, Van Gogh, Van Gogh Museum