Very few people know that there is a conservation studio in the Mauritshuis attic. A team of in-house conservators works there, dedicating their time to conservation, restoration and research and ensuring that the collection remains in top condition. In 2021 it will be some 25 years since the studio was installed in the attic. In Facelifts and Makeovers the most intriguing restorations of the past twenty years will be unveiled, including paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, Steen and Rubens, but also by some lesser-known artists such as Cornelis de Heem and Jacob Ochtervelt. Restoring centuries-old paintings appeals to the imagination. What does it involve? What can we learn from conservation treatment? What do paintings look like ‘before’ and ‘after’? And what have been the most surprising findings?
[text from the museum website]