The works, owned by the Government of the Canary Islands, have returned to the island after nearly eight months of restoration work at the Institute of Cultural Heritage of Spain (IPCE). These large-format pieces will be exhibited at the MUBEA Gran Canaria Museum of Fine Arts, the new museum facility of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, which will open its doors to the public at the end of the year. The works will remain under the care of the Museum Service of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria on deposit.
The restoration work, led by Abraham Reina de la Torre, head of the company Aqqerva, has successfully recovered the artistic elements of the pictorial layer, as well as the stability and consolidation of the supports and frames. The artworks traveled to Madrid at the end of March.
Thanks to the agreement between the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, visitors will be able to enjoy these pieces starting in December. Preliminary studies had identified alterations, particularly in The Rape of Proserpina, which showed damage from water infiltration.
The paintings depict episodes from classical mythology. Neptune features the sea god accompanied by other mythological figures, while The Rape of Proserpina portrays the moment Pluto, god of the underworld, abducts Ceres' daughter.
Luca Giordano (1634-1705), born in Naples, was a prolific figure in European Baroque painting and worked in Spain for Charles II. His pictorial style is characterized by chromatic richness and monumental compositions.
The two canvases are part of a collection that became property of the Government of the Canary Islands in 2021. The former San Martín Hospital building has been transformed into the new Fine Arts museum, one of the best museum facilities in the archipelago.
