Portrait of "Marcia Furnilla", unknown artist, Italy, early 16th century

Marcia Furnilla is the second wife of the Roman emperor Titus and the mother of Julia Flavia.
The painting came to me through the collaboration of an auction house in Naples and an art collector in Amsterdam. Photo documentation shows the terrible state of the painting before restoration. The colors were impossible to see, the painting turned black, all the brightness and depth of the colors disappeared. In addition, the paint layer was so lost that it was impossible to make out the details of the painting. The question arose whether the restoration could return the painting to what it was before. It was impossible to answer without testing the paint layer and top layers.

By conducting visual research, ultraviolet research and trial excavations of paintings from later layers, I became convinced of the usefulness of the restoration process. During the restoration process, all dark layers were removed, retouching was made in areas where the paint layer is lost, the base was strengthened, and the painting was covered with a layer of protective varnish.