A student at the University of Manchester has managed to both redefine and secure funding in regards to the cleaning, conservation and rehousing of a German Renaissance painting.
Rhodes, studying for an MA in Art History and Visual Studies at The University of Manchester, and working as a collections manager for Macclesfield Museums, had been researching an essay for a course module on Northern Renaissance when she recognised the significance of the piece.
Edward Wouk, who taught that module, has commented that the painting “was not forgotten but was essentially totally misunderstood and overlooked. Her outstanding research has changed our understanding of when the painting is made, where it was made, for whom it was made, and crucially, what it represents”.
Having initially been part of the inaugural exhibition of West Park Museum in Macclesfield when it opened in 1898, over 117 years ago, the painting was titled The Virgin Mary Releasing a Soul from Purgatory at the Intercession of King David.
Rhodes though has since discovered that the painting actually depicts Saint Catherine and the burning philosophers. Saint Catherine of Alexandria was a Christian saint martyred in the early 4th century by the pagan, Roman emperor Maxentius. Rhodes also discovered that the painting seems to have originated “from the Nuremberg region of Germany”.
Rhodes also managed to gain funding from the Association of Independent Museums (AIA), supported by the Pilgrim Trust, in regards to the cleaning, conservation and rehousing of the panel.
Tamalie Newbery, Executive Director of AIM said: “The AIM conservation grants are always over-subscribed and so the decision about which applications should be funded is made by the grant committee on the basis of a number of factors including the significance of the object, the appropriateness of the conservation treatment proposed and to what extent the public will be able to access the object once it has been conserved.
"The committee were delighted to be able to fund the conservation work required for this very important painting, which will enable it to be put on long-term display, for the public to enjoy”.
The museum’s oldest painting will be back on display there in November.
Rhodes, studying for an MA in Art History and Visual Studies at The University of Manchester, and working as a collections manager for Macclesfield Museums, had been researching an essay for a course module on Northern Renaissance when she recognised the significance of the piece.
Edward Wouk, who taught that module, has commented that the painting “was not forgotten but was essentially totally misunderstood and overlooked. Her outstanding research has changed our understanding of when the painting is made, where it was made, for whom it was made, and crucially, what it represents”.
Having initially been part of the inaugural exhibition of West Park Museum in Macclesfield when it opened in 1898, over 117 years ago, the painting was titled The Virgin Mary Releasing a Soul from Purgatory at the Intercession of King David.
Rhodes though has since discovered that the painting actually depicts Saint Catherine and the burning philosophers. Saint Catherine of Alexandria was a Christian saint martyred in the early 4th century by the pagan, Roman emperor Maxentius. Rhodes also discovered that the painting seems to have originated “from the Nuremberg region of Germany”.
Rhodes also managed to gain funding from the Association of Independent Museums (AIA), supported by the Pilgrim Trust, in regards to the cleaning, conservation and rehousing of the panel.
Tamalie Newbery, Executive Director of AIM said: “The AIM conservation grants are always over-subscribed and so the decision about which applications should be funded is made by the grant committee on the basis of a number of factors including the significance of the object, the appropriateness of the conservation treatment proposed and to what extent the public will be able to access the object once it has been conserved.
"The committee were delighted to be able to fund the conservation work required for this very important painting, which will enable it to be put on long-term display, for the public to enjoy”.
The museum’s oldest painting will be back on display there in November.
