PUBLIC LECTURE: Conserving Artemisia Gentileschi’s Hercules and Omphale

1PM GALLERY VIEWING | 2PM PROGRAM Artemisia Gentileschi’s painting Hercules and Omphale was severely damaged in a 2020 explosion in the port of Beirut. The blast resulted in the deaths of over 200 people and caused significant damage to cultural heritage sites, like Sursock Palace, where the painting was housed. Ulrich Birkmaier, Senior Conservator of Paintings at the Getty Museum and former Chief Conservator at the Wadsworth, reveals the three-year process of conserving this previously unattributed work, now identified as…

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January 24, 2026 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

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Free

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1PM GALLERY VIEWING | 2PM PROGRAM

Artemisia Gentileschi’s painting Hercules and Omphale was severely damaged in a 2020 explosion in the port of Beirut. The blast resulted in the deaths of over 200 people and caused significant damage to cultural heritage sites, like Sursock Palace, where the painting was housed. Ulrich Birkmaier, Senior Conservator of Paintings at the Getty Museum and former Chief Conservator at the Wadsworth, reveals the three-year process of conserving this previously unattributed work, now identified as by Artemisia, the most celebrated professional woman artist of the 17th-century. Birkmaier is joined by Oliver Tostmann, Susan Morse Hilles Curator of European Art, for a conversation addressing Artemisia’s impact and the work being undertaken to preserve her legacy.

Free. Registration encouraged.

This program is generously supported by an anonymous sponsor.

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