Throughout The 20s
Kuang discussed her findings with CNN, and she said that the varnish had been applied for a rather ridiculous reason. Incredibly, people had a very different appreciation for amazing works of art during the 1920s. They did not like to see the texture of a painting, and preferred a “mirrored surface”, which was accomplished by laying on thick layers of varnish. This would allow the viewer to be reflected in the painting, which was the desired effect of the time. Of course, Rembrandt rolled in his grave every time someone desecrated his artworks this way!
Throughout The 20s
On Their Way To The Truth
“The restorer was so frustrated building up the layers of varnish to make the texture disappear that he actually poured it on. It was the consistency of molasses, and you could actually see the drip marks,” Kuang said. Now that the varnish had been rightfully removed, what did Kuang and her colleagues discover? Of course, the painting turned out to have been exceptionally made. There was no doubt left in anyone’s mind, this was a Rembrandt original!
On Their Way To The Truth
