Arts & Entertainment

The room that slows down time

By Diego Barajas

Madrid, Oct 24 (EFE).- Imagine arriving at work and there is a Dali painting sitting on your desk, a Miró in the corner and Picasso on its way.

A dream for many and a daily reality for some, including Jorge García Gómez-Tejedor, head of the conservation and restoration department at Madrid’s Reina Sofia modern art museum.

Jorge has worked at the museum since 1992, in which time he has tended to a wide variety of artworks and all sorts of imperfections requiring his attention.

He is currently working on a piece by Salvador Dali that is due to fly out to South Korea, a painting that the artist himself broke in a fit of fury and anger when he learned that his father was going to disinherit him.

To a layman, the painting looks in perfect condition, but Jorge insists that it is delicate. The work is known as Dues figures (Two Figures), and it depicts an abstract self-portrait of the artist alongside poet Federico García Lorca.

Carmen Muro heads up the chemical lab at the department and her passion for her job is revealed in the large smile that emerges across her face when she delves into the details.

Her work consists of taking samples from paintings to learn about their composition and the material that was used in their creasion.

“They are micro-samples from very specific parts, and only when necessary, so don’t worry,” she says.

Her research helps the restorters when it comes to fixing up a painting and reveals what the naked eye cannot see.

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