An Interdisciplinary Project Of Study And Conservation Of Candido Portinari'S "Retirantes" Ensemble At Sao Paulo Museum Of Art

"Retirantes","Crianca Morta" and "Enterro na Rede" are three oil paintings, painted in 1944 by Candido Portinari, a renowned Brazilian artist. The three paintings portray the poverty and emigration originated by the droughts of the Brazilian northeastern regions. The three paintings entered the museum's collection in 1948, as an ensemble. Due to different material histories and past restorations, the paintings presented distinct conservation states. An interdisciplinary project with curators, art conservators, and scientists was organized with the intention of studying and conserving each one of the paintings. Technical imaging and material characterization were essential to justify the proposed treatment, which was performed with the intent of ensure the stability of the alterations presented and recovering the aesthetical homogeneity of the three paintings, allowing a coherent exhibition of the ensemble again.