The Conservation of Rosalba Carriera’s Pastels of the Four Seasons

In 2017, Paper Conservators at Royal Collection Trust conserved a group of four pastel paintings by Venetian artist Rosalba Carriera, depicting the personification of the seasons. The artworks were chosen to be displayed together for the first time, as part of the exhibition Canaletto & the Art of Venice at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. On close examination, the pastels presented damages to the media support (the sheet of paper the image is created on) and to the framing package (the enclosure for the artwork to be safely stored and displayed). The works were therefore assessed and treated by a team of conservators with multidisciplinary skills.