Bouts' Passion Triptych Returns Restored to Granada's Royal Chapel

After over 500 years, Dieric Bouts' 'Passion Triptych' (ca. 1455-1460) has returned to Granada's Royal Chapel following an unprecedented restoration. The work was a centerpiece of the 2023-2024 exhibition 'Dieric Bouts. Creator of Images' at M Leuven. A collaboration between M Leuven, the Royal Chapel, and the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage of Belgium (KIK-IRPA), backed by the Flemish government, the project involved advanced scientific analysis including macro X-ray fluorescence, which revealed 19th-century zinc repaints. The central panel, depicting the Descent from the Cross, had severe conservation issues; lateral panels were covered with yellowed varnishes. Restorers removed overpaints and varnishes using solvents and scalpels, recovering hidden details. Losses were reintegrated using a faithful copy from around 1500 at the Museo del Patriarca in Valencia. The restoration unveiled architectural elements, landscapes, fabrics, and Bouts' characteristic chiaroscuro. Initial findings were presented in 2024 at M Leuven's 'Atelier Bouts' exhibition. The Royal Chapel will host an exhibition on the project's conclusions and an international colloquium on Bouts. Bouts (c. 1410-1475), a second-generation Flemish Primitive, likely born in Haarlem, moved to Leuven where he married Catharina van der Brugghen in 1448.