Venice’s Gallerie dell’Accademia Launches Public Restoration of Bellini’s Monumental San Giobbe Altarpiece

VENICE — Conservators have begun the first full-scale restoration of Giovanni Bellini’s San Giobbe Altarpiece, a landmark 15th-century masterpiece, in full public view at the Gallerie dell’Accademia.

The monumental oil-on-panel painting, created around 1487 for the Church of San Giobbe, depicts the Virgin and Child enthroned with saints and musicians in a serene architectural setting. Long considered one of the greatest achievements of the Venetian Renaissance, the altarpiece has suffered from centuries of exposure to the city’s humid climate, resulting in instability in its wooden support and accumulated layers of dirt and old varnish.

Because the fragile work measures nearly five meters high and cannot safely be moved to a conservation laboratory, museum officials have transformed its gallery into an open construction site. A specially designed glass enclosure now allows visitors to observe restorers at work without interrupting the museum’s exhibition flow. The transparent barrier protects both the artwork and the public while providing an unprecedented window into professional conservation techniques.

The two-year project, budgeted at approximately €500,000, will include stabilizing the wooden panel, detailed scientific analysis of pigments and underdrawings using advanced imaging, careful cleaning, and revarnishing. Project director Giulio Manieri Elia and his team aim to return the painting to its original clarity while preserving its historical integrity.

Funding comes from the Gallerie dell’Accademia and Venetian Heritage, supported by donors Roger Thomas and Arthur Libera. Museum officials describe the initiative as both a technical necessity and an educational opportunity, inviting audiences to witness the painstaking labor that sustains cultural heritage.

“This is the first time such a major intervention has taken place inside the galleries with complete public access,” said a museum spokesperson. “Visitors can follow every stage—from diagnostic studies to the final retouching—turning conservation itself into a living exhibition.”

The San Giobbe Altarpiece is expected to remain on view throughout the process, with the full restoration scheduled for completion in 2028. The project underscores Venice’s ongoing commitment to preserving its Renaissance treasures amid environmental challenges.