"It's like a virtuoso musical performance where the ability to throw in that extra at the right moment turns the painting into poetry."
Metropolitan Museum of Art paintings conservator Michael Gallagher talks about the appeal of technical virtuosity.
Connections: Virtuosity
Paintings conservator Michael Gallagher talks about the appeal of technical virtuosity.
Michael Gallagher
5 min. watch
Contributors
Michael Gallagher
Sherman Fairchild Chairman, Department of Paintings Conservation
Sherman Fairchild Chairman, Department of Paintings Conservation
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Art Mentioned
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John Singer Sargent
1883–84
Armorer Filippo Negroli
dated 1543
India (Uttar Pradesh)
5th century
China
2nd century BCE
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1478–82
Attributed to Martin Carlin
Manufactory Sèvres Manufactory
Decorator Central plaque decorated by Edme François Bouillat père
ca. 1776
Unknown
probably shortly before 1704
Greek
3rd–2nd century BCE
Sasanian
ca. 4th century
Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez)
ca. 1635
Corrado Giaquinto
ca. 1750
ca. 1390–1336 B.C.