Louvre Art Experts Resign in Protest of ‘Overcleaning’ of da Vinci Masterpiece

By Monami Thakur | December 31 2011 7:37 AM

Two art experts on advisory committee for the Louvre in Paris have submitted their resignations because of a dispute over the method employed to restore a Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece.

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"The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne" (Leonardo da Vinci)

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According to The Guardian, Segolene Bergeon Langle and Jean-Pierre Cuzin quit their advisory posts after the cleaning of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, claiming the 500-year-old artwork has been overcleaned.

The row over the restoration is not the first witnessed by the art world. There have been several debates in the past about the cleaning of masterpieces and the procedures to be used without compromising the quality of the work.

For example, similar protests were made during the restoration of Michelangelo's work at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City from 1979 to 1999, The Huffington Post reported.

The experts who resigned are reportedly eminent specialists in the field of art conservation.

Langle, regarded as a national authority on restoring paintings, has confirmed her resignation. However, she told The Guardian that she was reserving the specific reasons for her action until she meets with Henri Loyrette, president-director of the Louvre. Cuzin declined to comment on the matter beyond confirming his resignation.