Visitors to Manchester Art Gallery this spring will be able to witness live work on the Gallery's most ambitious conservation project ever; the restoration of William Etty's huge and dramatic painting The Sirens and Ulysses. The restoration begins on March 18 2006 and will take place over a period of around 18 months. It is hoped the project will be completed in autumn 2007 in time for a major exhibition at the gallery called The Greatest Art Show on Earth.
It will be the first time in over 100 years that the picture, measuring almost 3m by 4.5m, has been on display.
The painting, which depicts a scene from Homer's Odyssey, was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1837. Considered by Etty to be his finest achievement, the hero Ulysses is shown blindfolded and tied to the mast of his ship to avoid the temptations of a trio of voluptuous and dangerous Sirens.
A Yorkshire born artist, Etty already had links with the Royal Manchester Institution (now Manchester Art Gallery) and sold the painting to local textile merchant Daniel Grant, who was a patron of the RMI, after a big day out at the races. When Grant actually saw the painting, he realized it was too big for his house and gave it to his brother William, who later donated it to the RMI.
When the exhibition opens, visitors will be able to watch the work in progress from a resource area, enjoy interactive displays, handle materials and learn more about conservation.
