The restored painting of the French painter Claude Monet "Charing Cross Bridge" will be shown at the Courtauld Gallery exhibition. This work of art was stored in Winston Churchill's house and suffered from plaque caused by cigar smoking for many years.
"Charing Cross Bridge" is one of Monet's most famous works on the theme of London landscapes. The artist began work on it in 1899, but signed and dated it in 1902. And this despite the fact that the landscape was fully completed only in 1923.
For almost 40 years, Monet's painting decorated the living room of the British Prime Minister in the Chartwell estate. And since the politician was known for his passion for smoking Cuban cigars, the interior items in his house "suffered" from tobacco smoke. In particular, Monet's painting gradually lost its brightness.
The restoration of the painting was entrusted to the conservator of the National Fund, Rebecca Hellen, who returned the work to its original appearance, as close as possible to the way Monet left it in 1923. Unfortunately, a significant part of the yellow shades was muted due to contamination and darkening of the varnish.
Before the picture ended up in the estate of the English prime minister, it was owned by the American literary agent Emery Reeves. The latter presented the landscape to Churchill in 1949.
The painting "Charing Cross Bridge" will be exhibited as part of the exhibition "Monet and London: Views of the Thames", which will include 21 works of the artist.
Source: theartnewspaper.com
