“By order of His Majesty the King”: The Painter-Restorers of the Art Collection of Ferdinand II of Portugal

Vera Mariz

doi:10.37558/gec.v20i1.1020

Vera Mariz Institute of Art History, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2154-191X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37558/gec.v20i1.1020

Keywords: painter-restorers, history of conservation, royal collections, art market

Abstract

This study reveals and discusses the role played by five painter-restorers – António Manuel da Fonseca, António Tomás da Fonseca, Carl Kathan, Gaetano Marmocchi, and Étienne Le Roy – at the service of King Ferdinand II of Portugal, from 1850 to 1864. It draws on a dataset of more than one hundred and fifty restored paintings, used here as evidence of the painter-restorers’ activity and versatility in the private art market, as well as of the king’s commitment to managing, repairing and preserving his collection of paintings. Ultimately, by identifying the paintings that have been restored by order of the “Artist King” and relating them to the restorers, this research opens the door for direct analyses and a more precise characterization of the methods and techniques used by these painter-restorers in 19th century Europe.

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Author Biography

Vera Mariz, Institute of Art History, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon

Vera Mariz is a researcher at ARTIS (Institute of Art History, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon). Currently is developing a post-doctoral project on the Portuguese Art Market (1833-1945), which was awarded with a Foundation for Science and Technology post-doctoral fellowship (SFRH/BPD/116050/2016). She has a PhD in History / Art History, Art, Heritage and Restoration (2016) and a MA in Art, Heritage and Restoration Theory (2011), both from the School of Arts and Humanities (University of Lisbon). Her research interests are in the areas of art markets, history of collecting, digital art history, cultural heritage and history of architectural restoration.

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