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South China Morning Post

Art restoration at Paris' Orsay Museum opened up to the public gaze

As they painstakingly scrape grime off a monumental painting by French artist Gustave Courbet, the restorers do a remarkable job of ignoring their unusual surroundings: they are watched by crowds of people, many recording on mobile phones. Advertisement Paris' Orsay Museum has thrown open to the public a process that often happens behind closed doors. The cleaning and repairs to A Burial at Ornans, one of the museum's signature works that Courbet painted between 1849 and 1850, are taking place in a bespoke enclosure with windows for visitors to peer through. 'A great idea,' said Jennifer Dasal, a visiting art historian from the US state of North Carolina. 'If it's lasting for a while, people can come back and they can watch the restoration over time.' An art restorer carefully removes layers of varnish that have yellowed over time as he works on Gustave Courbet's painting titled A Burial at Ornans at the Orsay Museum in Paris. Photo: AFP An art restorer works on Gustave Courbet's painting titled A Burial at Ornans at the Orsay Museum. The painting had not undergone any significant restoration for at least half a century. Photo: AFP