After more than five centuries without leaving its home, the 'Descent from the Cross' Triptych, by Flemish painter Dieric Bouts, has undergone a meticulous restoration process in Belgium. The intervention, which has restored the work to its original appearance, will conclude in the coming days with its return to the Royal Chapel of Granada Cathedral.
For the first time in over 500 years, the painting left the Royal Chapel in June 2023. Following a preliminary examination at the Scientific Imaging Unit of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage of Belgium (KIK-IRPA) in Brussels, the work traveled to Leuven in October of the same year to be part of two exhibitions dedicated to Bouts at the M Leuven museum.
In May 2024, the triptych returned to Brussels for more in-depth research and conservation treatments in the painting workshop, as well as historical-artistic studies by the Centre for the Study of the Flemish Primitives. The restoration is part of an international collaboration between the KIK-IRPA, the Museum of Leuven, the Cathedral of Granada, and the Flemish Government.
Dated between 1455 and 1460, the triptych, housed in the Royal Chapel since 1505, consists of three panels painted in oil on oak. They depict the final stages of Christ's life: the descent from the cross (central panel), the crucifixion (left), and the resurrection (right).
The restoration revealed significant damage to the paint layer of the central panel, particularly at the joints of the wooden boards. The side panels, although in better condition, required the removal of later varnish layers that had dulled and yellowed the artwork. X-ray analyses detected repainting from the 19th century, evidenced by the presence of zinc, a pigment from that era.
To reconstruct missing details, restorers used high-resolution photographs of a copy of the triptych, dated around 1500 and housed in the Museum of the Patriarch of Valencia.
To commemorate the artwork's return, the involved institutions have organized events. Floortje Clerix, Communications Manager at the KIK-IRPA, confirmed to EFE that the Granada Cathedral will host an exhibition with academic and scientific contributions from M Leuven and the KIK-IRPA. The triptych is being transported to Granada this Thursday, with arrival expected in the coming days.
Furthermore, on June 16 and 17, an international symposium will be held at the Granada cathedral, bringing together specialists from across Europe to discuss Dieric Bouts and his work.
