Although an artist’s 500th birthday should warrant a major exhibition, it has been long been assumed that a Tintoretto retrospective would be difficult if not impossible to produce, given the twin challenges of the enormous scale of his paintings and a persistent doubt over what the master – as opposed to his workshop assistants or imitators – actually painted. In 2018–2019, these obstacles were surmounted in both Italy and the United States. Tintoretto was celebrated in his hometown with the first full Tintoretto presentation in Venice since 1937. A second venue in Washington D.C. presented the first-everTintoretto retrospective in North America. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes discussion of how such major exhibitions are created and learn about the surprising findings made through art conservation.