{"id":14804,"date":"2024-04-30T15:56:48","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T13:56:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/?post_type=beleef&p=14804"},"modified":"2026-01-06T12:22:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T11:22:24","slug":"restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint","status":"publish","type":"beleef","link":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/","title":{"rendered":"Restoration of Wautier’s ‘Bust of a Saint’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n

Eva van Zuien, independent restorer specialising in old masters, recently completed the restoration of a true artistic gem. Commissioned by The Phoebus Foundation, she breathed new life into Bust of a Saint <\/em>by Brussels artist Michaelina Wautier.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

\n
\"Art<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n
\n

Michaelina’s distinctive touch is easily recognisable in this beautiful work.\u00a0<\/span>The way in which<\/span>\u00a0she painted the soft features, the eyes and the drapery embodies her characteristic style. Additionally, the artist signed the work in her typical manner, placing her full first and last name,\u00a0<\/span>Michaelina Wautier\u00a0<\/span>fecit<\/span><\/em>, in the upper left corner.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

\n
\"Detail
before treatment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n
\n

The painting was in a moderate condition before treatment. It had been lined in the past, but the edges were damaged, causing the canvas to no longer be adequately stretched on the frame. Furthermore, the paint layers appeared dull due to surface dirt and the presence of a yellowed varnish layer. Notably, a significant portion of the background on the left side of the painting had been subject to overpainting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Removing the old varnish layer resulted in a notable transformation. Previously obscured original colour nuances, like the blush on the cheeks, became more discernible in the face, and a gradient from light to dark in the background became more visible. The removal of the old overpainting on the left revealed an original underpainting, deliberately left exposed by the artist in a vertical strip. The reason for Wautier’s choice in this matter remains unclear, but it seems that this bust might have been painted on the edge of a larger canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Detail
during the restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

An interesting phenomenon in this painting is the presence of many protrusions on the paint surface. Countless small white crater-like formations are visible throughout the entire work. This is the result of lead soap formation, a chemical ageing process in the paint layer. Considering the disruptive visual effect of these light dots, it was decided to retouch the most distracting ones.<\/p>\n\n

\n
\"Macro
detail of the signature with protrusions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n
\n
\"Portrait
after the restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n
\n

Thanks to this careful restoration, the artwork can once again be admired in all its splendor!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eva van Zuien, independent restorer specialising in old masters, recently completed the restoration of a true artistic gem. Commissioned by The Phoebus Foundation, she breathed new life into Bust of a Saint by Brussels artist Michaelina Wautier. Michaelina’s distinctive touch is easily recognisable in this beautiful work.\u00a0The way in which\u00a0she painted the soft features, the eyes and the drapery embodies her characteristic style. Additionally, the artist signed the work in her typical manner, placing her full first and last name,\u00a0Michaelina Wautier\u00a0fecit, in the upper left corner. The painting was in a moderate condition before treatment. It had been lined in the past, but the edges were damaged, causing the canvas to no longer be adequately stretched on the frame. Furthermore, the paint layers appeared dull due to surface dirt and the presence of a yellowed varnish layer. Notably, a significant portion of the background on the left side of the painting had been subject to overpainting. Removing the old varnish layer resulted in a notable transformation. Previously obscured original colour nuances, like the blush on the cheeks, became more discernible in the face, and a gradient from light to dark in the background became more visible. The removal of the old overpainting on the left revealed an original underpainting, deliberately left exposed by the artist in a vertical strip. The reason for Wautier’s choice in this matter remains unclear, but it seems that this bust might have been painted on the edge of a larger canvas. An interesting phenomenon in this painting is the presence of many protrusions on the paint surface. Countless small white crater-like formations are visible throughout the entire work. This is the result of lead soap formation, a chemical ageing process in the paint layer. Considering the disruptive visual effect of these light dots, it was decided to retouch the most distracting ones. Thanks to this careful restoration, the artwork can once again be admired in all its splendor!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":14787,"template":"","soort_artikel":[223],"class_list":["post-14804","beleef","type-beleef","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","soort_artikel-behind-the-scenes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRestoration of Wautier's 'Bust of a Saint' - The Phoebus Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how conservator Eva van Zuien restored Bust of a Saint by Michaelina Wautier. A refined restoration project from The Phoebus Foundation collection, revealing the artist\u2019s craftsmanship and intent.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Restoration of Wautier's 'Bust of a Saint' - The Phoebus Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover how conservator Eva van Zuien restored Bust of a Saint by Michaelina Wautier. A refined restoration project from The Phoebus Foundation collection, revealing the artist\u2019s craftsmanship and intent.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Phoebus Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ThePhoebusFoundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T11:22:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/DSC_7056-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1709\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/\",\"name\":\"Restoration of Wautier's 'Bust of a Saint' - The Phoebus Foundation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/DSC_7056-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-30T13:56:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-06T11:22:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"Discover how conservator Eva van Zuien restored Bust of a Saint by Michaelina Wautier. A refined restoration project from The Phoebus Foundation collection, revealing the artist\u2019s craftsmanship and intent.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/DSC_7056-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/DSC_7056-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":1709,\"height\":2560},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Restoration of Wautier’s ‘Bust of a Saint’\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/\",\"name\":\"The Phoebus Foundation\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Phoebus Foundation\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/The-phoebus-foundation_logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/The-phoebus-foundation_logo.png\",\"width\":800,\"height\":828,\"caption\":\"The Phoebus Foundation\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ThePhoebusFoundation\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thephoebusfoundation\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Restoration of Wautier's 'Bust of a Saint' - The Phoebus Foundation","description":"Discover how conservator Eva van Zuien restored Bust of a Saint by Michaelina Wautier. A refined restoration project from The Phoebus Foundation collection, revealing the artist\u2019s craftsmanship and intent.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Restoration of Wautier's 'Bust of a Saint' - The Phoebus Foundation","og_description":"Discover how conservator Eva van Zuien restored Bust of a Saint by Michaelina Wautier. A refined restoration project from The Phoebus Foundation collection, revealing the artist\u2019s craftsmanship and intent.","og_url":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/","og_site_name":"The Phoebus Foundation","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ThePhoebusFoundation","article_modified_time":"2026-01-06T11:22:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1709,"height":2560,"url":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/DSC_7056-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/","url":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/","name":"Restoration of Wautier's 'Bust of a Saint' - The Phoebus Foundation","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/DSC_7056-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-04-30T13:56:48+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-06T11:22:24+00:00","description":"Discover how conservator Eva van Zuien restored Bust of a Saint by Michaelina Wautier. A refined restoration project from The Phoebus Foundation collection, revealing the artist\u2019s craftsmanship and intent.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/DSC_7056-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/DSC_7056-scaled.jpg","width":1709,"height":2560},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/beleef\/restoration-of-wautiers-bust-of-a-saint\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Restoration of Wautier’s ‘Bust of a Saint’"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/","name":"The Phoebus Foundation","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#organization","name":"The Phoebus Foundation","url":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/The-phoebus-foundation_logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/The-phoebus-foundation_logo.png","width":800,"height":828,"caption":"The Phoebus Foundation"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ThePhoebusFoundation","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thephoebusfoundation\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/beleef\/14804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/beleef"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/beleef"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/beleef\/14804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17941,"href":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/beleef\/14804\/revisions\/17941"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"soort_artikel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phoebusfoundation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/soort_artikel?post=14804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}