Musei Nazionali di Genova | Restaurando Luca Giordano | Thursday 14 May, 17:00

Restoring Luca Giordano

meeting with the restorersAnna and Luigi Parma

introduced by Anna Manzitti and Luca Leoncini

After a careful restoration, the two large canvases by Luca Giordano depicting Fight between Perseus and Phineas and Clorinda saves Olindo and Sofronia from the stake finally return to the public in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace.

These works, which probably arrived in Genoa at the beginning of the 18th century, have been documented in the palazzo since 1739. The room in which they are located was formerly known as the "Sala del Giordano" because it housed three large canvases painted by the Neapolitan painter: Fight between Perseus and Phineus, Clorinda saves Olindus and Sophronia from the stake and The Death of Seneca (a work that left the collections after 1836 and is now lost). Probably made around 1680, they underwent several adaptations in ancient times in order to standardise their dimensions.

The imposing paintings, measuring approximately 4 metres by 3.5 metres, depict two scenes from literary texts: Ovid's Metamorphoses and Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata. Both canvases reflect the painter's ability to effectively translate stories into images, skilfully playing on theatrical and scenic effects. The characters are arranged as if on an ideal stage and involve the viewer with gestures, expressions, movements intended to catch the eye.

Always considered one of the masterpieces of the Palace's picture gallery, the Fight between Perseus and Phineas was one of the major attractions that prompted travellers to visit the Palace in the 18th century.

The restoration of both paintings was entrusted to the Milan-based laboratory of Luigi Parma. The work on the pictorial surfaces, which took many months between 2024 and 2026, made it possible to recover the colours and light effects, restoring these two precious masterpieces to their original splendour.

The work Fight between Perseus and Phineas was restored between 2024 and 2025 thanks to the call for bids for the 20th edition of RESTITUTIONS by Intesa Sanpaolo.

The work Clorinda saves Olindo and Sofronia from the flames has been restored thanks to the generous contribution and willingness of Fondazione Passadore 1888 E.F.