Musée d'Orsay Restores Courbet's 'A Burial at Ornans' in Public View
The Facts
The Musée d'Orsay has undertaken the restoration of Gustave Courbet's monumental painting "A Burial at Ornans" (1849–1850), a key work of the French realist movement. The project aims to return the painting as closely as possible to its original state and ensure its long-term preservation. The restoration is being carried out in a specially designed enclosed space in Room 7 on the ground floor of the museum, where the painting is usually hung. The hoarding, designed by architects and the museum's graphics department, allows the public to observe the restorers at work through glass windows. The campaign is supported by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project and comes ten years after the restoration of Courbet's "The Painter's Studio."
The Signal
The restoration addresses specific conservation challenges posed by Courbet's dense, expressive technique, including thick impasto and knife applications, which have led to active cracks, lifting, and loss of adhesion. The painting's material history includes numerous exhibitions, movements, and repairs, resulting in yellowed varnish, deformed stretcher, and weakened canvas. This major institutional effort signals the museum's commitment to preserving its 19th-century masterpieces and offers a rare opportunity for the public to engage with conservation work in real time. For collectors and curators, the project underscores the ongoing challenges of maintaining works with complex material histories, particularly those by artists known for experimental techniques.
- Artists: Gustave Courbet
- Museums: Musée d'Orsay
- Locations: Paris
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