Conserving the largest watercolour painting in the world
The Star of Bethlehem by Pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) is believed to be the largest watercolour in the world measuring 8ft by 12ft. Completed in 1890 and untouched since then, the painting was in need of conservation and new glazing so that it could continue to be on display for the public to enjoy.
The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is currently going through a major refurbishment and will re-open in 2024. In 2022, they received a grant from us to conserve and display the Star of Bethlehem, ready for the museum’s re-opening. The organisation is internationally recognised for leadership in conservation and collections care. The painting’s vast glazing was at risk of shattering and needed replacing; plus the painting and its frame needed some conservation care
Along with our grant, the museum ran a successful fundraising campaign to help with the repairs and conservation of the painting. Our grant of £22,000 kick started the fundraising efforts and the public donated a total of £11,000! Overall, it was the joint effort of 120 donors that came together to enable this restoration of this ‘Birmingham star treasure’.
The museum brought in specialists to arrange the deglazing and reglazing of the painting with a type of acrylic that is non-reflective and lightweight. This new glazing allows the painting to be seen in all its glory without the risk of shattering. Another conservation specialist also arranged for the painting’s frame to be repaired and cleaned for display. The conservation work is now complete and so visitors will be able to enjoy the painting in its new condition when the museum re-opens.
All the pictures within this blog are from the museum and show the stages of repair and display of this renowned watercolour!
This grant comes from our Preservation and Conservation grant programme. Within this grant programme, we support the care of collections and objects that are historically and culturally significant. Find out more about the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
Grant Facts
Grant programme:
Preservation and Conservation
Grant purpose:
To fund the conversation of a Pre-Raphaelite painting to ensure its future preservation and display to the public.
Year awarded: 2021
Amount: £22,000
“We are a ‘stepping stone’ funder, supporting early stages of development, enabling an organisation to help unlock funding from other sources or identify a sustainable use for a historic building.”