Musée d'Orsay Restores Courbet's 'A Burial at Ornans' in Public View

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has undertaken a public restoration of Gustave Courbet's monumental painting 'A Burial at Ornans' (1849-1850), allowing visitors to observe the process behind a plexiglass barrier. Over the past year, restorers have cleaned grime, removed yellow varnish, filled cracks, and repaired the canvas, which had been dismantled and reframed multiple times. The museum previously used a similar approach for Courbet's 'The Painter's Studio' over a decade ago. The restoration is led by a team of specialists who explain their techniques to the public, including testing small sections, strengthening the loose canvas, stitching holes, and re-stretching the work. The painting, one of the museum's largest and most important, measures over 10 feet high and 22 feet wide. The project highlights the Orsay's commitment to transparency in conservation.