MFA Boston to host public restoration of 17th-century portrait
Museum opens Dutch masterpiece to public view for year-long restoration project.
(Photo via Hyperallergic)
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will launch a year-long public conservation project on Dec. 9, 2026, allowing visitors to observe the restoration of a 17th-century group portrait. The painting, titled The Founders of the Amsterdam Wine Merchants Guild (1625) by Nicolaes Eliasz. Pickenoy, will be housed in the museum’s Center for Netherlandish Art’s Innovation Gallery for the duration of the work.
The project is scheduled to run through Feb. 14, 2028, and will feature a rotating team of conservators, scientists, art historians, and curators. These professionals will perform the restoration process in view of the public, which includes removing surface grime, discolored varnish, and overpaint, followed by structural repairs and final retouching.
Acquired by the museum in 2025, the artwork is a rare example of a Dutch group portrait depicting members of an institution rather than a family. It remains one of only two such portraits currently held in North American collections.
This initiative aligns with a broader museum practice of providing transparency regarding technical stewardship. By staging the conservation in a public-facing studio, the institution aims to demystify the complex processes involved in maintaining historical works.