Three Christchurch youngsters have gone behind the scenes to gild the frame of one of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū’s most treasured paintings.
The trio won the chance to help conservator, Anne-Sophie Ninino, apply gold leaf to the frame of Burial in the Winter on the Island of Marken by Petrus van der Velden.
Ms Ninino has been peeling back the layers of history over the past several months, restoring the frame around the 150-year-old artwork and getting it ready for the final step – applying the delicate layers of gold leaf using a thin sheet of real gold.
Harper Webb, Zoey Ma and Delphi Cardwell-Ward won a competition for school-aged children from Year 3 up to Year 8 to imagine their own frame for the iconic artwork. The three winning students got the opportunity to visit the gallery and assist Ms Ninio in applying the gold leaf, using the same techniques that were used when it was first made.
The students brought their own creative approach to the design competition, from a traditional approach to reimaging the frame as an extension of the painting itself, says Gallery Lead Curator Felicity Milburn.
“You could tell they’d really looked closely at the artwork – each design was thoughtful and captured the mood of the painting in a different way.”
Due to its size and the challenges of relocating it within the McDougall Gallery, Burial in the Winter on the Island of Marken was on continuous display for years.
Gallery Director, Blair Jackson says that continuity has given it a special place in the hearts of many.
“It became a familiar and beloved presence, especially for visitors who first encountered it as children, accompanied by parents or grandparents. This enduring connection made it particularly meaningful to involve today’s young generation in the restoration of its frame,” Mr Jackson says.
“Restoring it is something we’ve hoped to do for a long time, and thanks to the generous support of the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Foundation, it’s finally possible. This ambitious project reflects our shared commitment to caring for the artworks that help define Ōtautahi Christchurch: past, present, and future.”
