The transformational conservation of Jacopo Marieschi’s splendid 18th-century painting Saint John Adoring the Relic of the True Cross from the ceiling of the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista has been completed, thanks the generous support of Arnold M. Bernstein.

The painting, created about 1760, is now temporarily displayed in the Atrium of the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista through the end of November 2026, allowing visitors the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to admire it up close before it is reinstalled high on the ceiling of the adjacent church.

This intervention represents a rare instance where an 18th-century artwork had never previously undergone a complete restoration. Prior to conservation, it was in a severe state of deterioration. The canvas had detached from the stretcher along the perimeter, causing it to sag by nearly 20cm, and risk potentially falling to the ground. The painted surface was completely obscured by a thick dark layer of grime and oxidized varnish, and it was so dry and brittle that it risked crumbling.

Conservator Claudia Vittori and her collaborators Lorenzo Conti, Barbara Bragato, Silvia Bonifacio, and Sofia Marchesin led the eight-month treatment, stabilizing the canvas’s structural deterioration and deformation, removing the black surface residues, and reintegrating the small pictorial losses. Scientific analysis also shed valuable light on Marieschi’s technique and materials. View more photos

WATCH NOW | Take a behind-the-scenes look at the 2025-2026 conservation treatment of Jacopo Marieschi’s 18th-century painting. Video: Joan Porcel Studio