The Museo del Prado recovers a work that was the talk of Madrid under Ferdinand VII: El año del hambre en Madrid, by José Aparicio. Conceived as political propaganda, the monumental painting swept to popularity, leaving Goya behind. Today, after decades relegated to hallways, it returns to the light to remind us that success and oblivion are two sides of the same coin. 🖼️
The technology behind the rescue of a 19th-century relic 🔬
The restoration of this canvas, over five meters in size, has required image processing techniques and multispectral analysis to detect layers of oxidized varnish and historical repaints. Infrared reflectography scanners have been used to reveal the underlying drawing, and X-rays to study the structure of the stretcher. The conservation team had to stabilize the paint layer, removing dirt deposits without damaging the original patina, a process combining precision chemistry and controlled lighting systems.
A painting that was more viral than a meme of its time 😂
That a painting of hunger and misery became the hit of the moment is quite something. In the 21st century, any influencer would weep for the reach Aparicio achieved with his work: prints, poems, and even street songs. The curious thing is that, after so much success, the canvas ended up decorating a hallway. Good thing NFTs didn't exist back then, or we'd have to pay royalties just to look at a painting of famine.