Art Meets Science: National Gallery of Ireland Unveils Newly Conserved 16th-Century Masterpiece

• Ludovico Mazzolino’s large-scale painting, The Crossing of the Red Sea (1521), returns to public display after many decades in storage and extensive conservation work

• New special exhibition includes a short documentary film on the major scientific research project undertaken by the Gallery and a range of companion objects and loans

• Supported by a grant from the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund

The National Gallery of Ireland today unveils Ludovico Mazzolino’s (c.1480–1528) Renaissance masterpiece, The Crossing of the Red Sea, (1521 oil on panel, 125 x 157 cm,1521), following an extensive research and conservation project. This special exhibition, supported by the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund, celebrates the redisplay of this rarely seen painting, showcasing its extraordinary detail and historical significance. The display runs from 15 February to 6 July 2025 in the Sir Hugh Lane Room, with free admission.

Mazzolino, renowned for his small devotional paintings, primarily worked for the d’Este rulers of Renaissance Ferrara. Over time, he gained the confidence to undertake more ambitious and complex compositions. The Crossing of the Red Sea is one of only three surviving large-scale works by the artist, alongside The Massacre of the Innocents (Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome) and The Dispute in the Temple (Gemäldegalerie, Berlin). Recognised as a rare masterpiece, it serves as a crucial link between these key paintings from his mature career. Acquired by the National Gallery of Ireland in 1914, this remarkable work has remained out of public view for many years due to its fragile condition.

The Gallery’s new special exhibition Ludovico Mazzolino: The Crossing of the Red Sea includes the painting in its restored state housed in a purpose-built microclimate frame, to ensure its long-term stability. It is presented alongside The Holy Family, (c.1500, oil on panel, 71 x 55 cm) by Lorenzo di Ottavio Costa (c.1460-1535), one of Mazzolino’s first teachers, offering insight into the artistic traditions that shaped his work, and the evolution of his distinctive style and technique. Also included is a smaller work by Mazzolino, The Tribute Money (c. 1527, oil on canvas, 30 x 20.5 cm) from Christ Church, University of Oxford. This work shares the intricate composition and meticulous technique evident in the Gallery’s painting, but on a scale more typical of the artist’s output.  

The exhibition presents the findings of the research and conservation project, featuring technical imaging, such as infrared reflectography, which reveals fascinating details of Mazzolino’s free and expressive underdrawings. Additionally, the exhibition illustrates the range of analytical techniques used at the Gallery’s Scientific Laboratory, to provide a deeper understanding of Mazzolino’s painting technique.

Also on display in the exhibition, are pigments and materials used by Mazzolino, including rare and expensive materials such as Lapis Lazuli and shell gold, which demonstrates the significance of this presumed commission. A short film is screened within the exhibition space, documenting the conservation process and offering further insights into the artist’s approach to preparing and applying his paints.

Dr Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, commented: “Ludovico Mazzolino was a leading painter of the sixteenth century, known for his work at the Este court in Ferrara and later in Bologna. ‘The Crossing of the Red Sea’ is an internationally significant and rare example of his art. It was purchased 50 years after we first opened, yet this remarkable painting has been too fragile to display for many decades. Thanks to the generous support of the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund, our expert conservation team has been able to undertake essential treatment, ensuring that this striking work can once again be enjoyed by all who visit the Gallery.”

Natalia Macro, Research Scientist added: “This exhibition is the result of an extensive collaborative conservation and research project on ‘The Crossing of the Red Sea’. Our aim with the project was to stabilise and preserve this masterpiece for future generations, addressing longstanding structural issues in the paint layers. Through cutting-edge analysis at the Gallery’s Scientific Research Laboratory and meticulous conservation treatment, we have successfully secured the painting’s long-term stability while uncovering new insights into Mazzolino’s materials and techniques. This project not only restores the work’s vibrancy and integrity but also deepens our appreciation of this remarkable Renaissance treasure.”

The conservation and redisplay of The Crossing of the Red Sea (1521) by Ludovico Mazzolino represents a major achievement for the National Gallery of Ireland, combining art and science to preserve a rare masterpiece for the public to enjoy once more.

ENDS

Media Contacts:

Contact [email protected] for more information.

Notes to Editor:

Dr Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, is available for interview

2025 Exhibition Listing  

Turner’s Watercolours: Scotland’s Vaughan Bequest 

1 – 31 January 2025 Print Gallery 

Proudly supported by Grant Thornton, Turner Exhibitions Partner

Ludovico Mazzolino: The Crossing of the Red Sea

15 February – 06 July 2025

Sir Hugh Lane Room

Mainie Jellett and Evie Hone - The Art of Friendship

10 April – 10 August 2025

Lower Beit Wing, Rooms 6-10

An Artist’s Presence

17 May – 15 September 2025

The Print Gallery

Maurice Marinot – On Paper, In Glass  

02 August 2025 – 25 January 2026

Sir Hugh Lane Room

Créatúir na Cartlainne | Tails from the Archive  

Opening Summer 2025

Room 11

Picasso: From the Studio

11 October 2025 – 22 February 2026

Lower Beit Wing, Rooms 6-10

Organised by The National Gallery of Ireland in collaboration with the Musée national Picasso-Paris.  

Proudly supported by KPMG Ireland, Exhibition Partner

AIB Portrait Prize 2025 and AIB Young Portrait Prize 2025

7 November 2025 – 15 March 2026

The Portrait Gallery

About the National Gallery of Ireland:

The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the country’s most popular visitor attractions housing the nation’s collection of European and Irish art from about 1300 to the present day, and an extensive Library & Archive. Entry to the collection is free for all to enjoy, learn and be inspired. The Gallery recently published a new strategic plan for the period 2024-28, which is available to download on nationalgallery.ie.

For More Information:

Visit nationalgallery.ie or follow us on social media:

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Twitter: @NGIreland

LinkedIn: @National Gallery of Ireland

About TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund  

The TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund was established in 2012 to support and promote professional restoration and related scholarly research of significant museum artworks. Championing art in all its forms, the fund accepts grant applications from museums around the world, as well as artworks from any period. https://www.tefaf.com/foundation/museum-restoration-fund 

Tagann an Ealaín agus an Eolaíocht le chéile: Nochtann Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann Sárshaothar Nuachaomhnaithe ón 16ú hAois 

• Filleann péintéireacht mhórscála Ludovico Mazzolino, The Crossing of the Red Sea (1521), ar thaispeántas poiblí tar éis blianta fada i stóráil agus obair chaomhnaithe fhairsing

• Cuimsíonn an taispeántas speisialta nua gearrscannán faisnéise faoin bpríomhthionscadal taighde eolaíochta a rinne an Gailearaí, chomh maith le réimse réada agus iasachtaí comhlántacha

• Le tacaíocht ó dheontas ó TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund