Can you guess what's wrong with these paintings? - Noah Charney

譯者: Vivianna Cheong 審譯者: Wilde Luo

These paintings are in peril.

這些畫作岌岌可危。

All three have been defaced,

這三幅名畫都曾遭到污損，

some in ways that are almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

有些污損的地方 是肉眼看不見的，

Can you guess how they've been altered?

你能猜到它們怎樣被修改嗎？

You might be surprised.

你可能會大為震驚。

When a museum curator inspected this portrait,

當一位博物館策展人 檢視這幅

attributed to the 16th century Italian painter Bronzino,

相信是 16 世紀意大利畫家 布龍齊諾的肖像畫時，

they suspected it was a modern fake.

他們懷疑是現代膺品，

However, closely examining the cracks on its surface,

可是，仔細查看畫面上的裂縫過後，

an art conservator discovered that it was from that era—

一位藝術作品修復員發現 畫作的確源自 16 世紀，

It had just undergone drastic changes in recent centuries.

但在之後幾個世紀中 卻慘遭塗改。

Using x-ray technology, they peered under the outer surface of paint

透過 X 光技術，他們窺探畫底，

and saw the countenance of a completely different woman.

並發現另一個完全不同的女人的面容。

Essential parts of the painting had been modified

在 19 世紀一次對畫作的修復中，

during a 19th century restoration.

畫作主要的部份遭到塗改。

Prior to the mid-20th century,

在 20 世紀中葉前，

art restorers took a more heavy-handed approach,

藝術作品修復員都抱著專橫的 態度來「修復」藝術作品，

often believing they were improving art.

並且認為這是在「改善」作品。

Nowadays, they focus on keeping the original work intact

可是，現今的藝術作品修復員 卻著重保留原作的面貌，

with minimal intervention.

而極少干預創作手段。

When they need to fix something up,

若需要修補畫作，他們會

they usually make their markings visually and chemically distinct from the original,

以化學方式把修補的地方 與原作在視覺上區分出來，

so they can be harmlessly removed.

這樣能把修補的地方抹走 也不影響原作。

But the work of past restorers is a threat they regularly contend with—

以前的修復員互相競爭， 對畫作都帶來嚴重的影響，

as was the case with this portrait.

這幅肖像畫就是例子。

To recover the original,

為了還原畫作，

the conservator began removing the outer varnish coat.

修復員刮掉畫面表層的上光油。

Varnish is commonly used to protect paintings from debris

上光油一般是用來保護畫作免遭損害，

and make their colors pop.

並使得顏色更亮麗；

But the natural varnishes past restorers applied eventually darkened,

但過往修復員使用的上光油 最終變得暗啞，

which is what gives older paintings that aged, yellowy look.

導致流傳下來的畫作看來發黃陳舊。

Slowly dissolving the varnish,

修復員慢慢溶解 畫面的上光油，

the conservator uncovered crisp colors below.

再現底下光亮的色彩。

Taking small samples from the added and original paint layers,

透過拿出少量原作以及 塗改之處的顏料作樣品，

they analyzed the compositions of each.

他們研究出各顏料層所屬的構圖。

Then, they decided which solvents could dissolve the overpainting

然後，他們便能決定使用哪種溶解劑 來溶解塗改之處的顏料。

while minimally affecting the original.

從而對原作帶來最小的影響。

Carefully dabbing the canvas with them,

經過仔細輕擦畫面，

they removed the overpainting’s dainty hands and idealized face.

修復員抹去畫面上 矯小的手和理想化的面容，

The true painting underneath revealed Isabella of the Italian Medici dynasty.

揭示了美第奇家族 伊沙貝拉的肖像。

The portrait isn’t Bronzino’s,

這幅肖像畫並非出自 布龍齊諾之手，

but it is from around 1570, and may have been painted

但的確創作於 1570 年間， 可能是他的門生畫的。

by one of his students.

Its Victorian makeover was likely done to boost sales

畫作於維多利亞時期經修改， 很可能是為了促進銷售，

because the original subject wasn’t considered attractive.

因為人們都覺得 原作上的人物不太好看，

But now, Isabella is back, meeting her viewer’s gaze directly.

但現在，伊沙貝拉重現人間， 可以跟觀眾見面。

This painting, “An Allegory with Venus and Cupid,”

這幅名畫《維納斯，丘比特，放蕩與時間》

is actually Bronzino’s, and it was completed around 1545.

的確出自布龍齊諾之手， 約在 1545 年間完成。

It centers on a kiss between Venus and her son Cupid–

畫中的維納斯親吻兒子丘比特，

but it’s been subtly altered.

但畫作被細微地塗改過。

When London’s National Gallery acquired it in 1860,

當倫敦國家畫廊 於 1860 年購得畫作時，

the Gallery’s director deemed it too risqué for Victorian England.

畫廊主管認為畫作題材對 維多利亞時期的英國來說太有傷風化，

So, he commissioned a restorer to obscure Venus’s tongue and nipple.

因此聘請修復員掩蓋 畫中維納斯的舌頭和乳頭，

A century after this modification,

塗改後的一百年，

art conservators analyzed and removed the overpainting with select solvents.

修復員分析後，再使用精選的溶解劑 抹去當年蓋上去的塗層。

In the process, they also realized that the veil covering Venus’s crotch

過程中，他們發現遮蓋 維納斯胯部的薄紗，

and the branch hiding Cupid’s posterior were other add-ons.

及遮掩丘比特臀部的樹技 都是後期加上去的。

Removing two layers of censorship from the painting,

抹去這兩層以內容審查 為名的塗改之後，

it was finally free to boast its provocative original details.

這幅作品終於能以原作中 「有傷風化」的細節而自矜。

This massive painting called “The Night Watch”

這幅巨大的名作《夜巡》，

was completed by Rembrandt in 1642.

是林布蘭於 1642 年完成。

Since then, it’s endured one dramatic amputation, two stabbings,

自此，它經過一次 駭人的裁切、兩次戳刺，

an acid attack, and centuries of grime.

一次硫酸破壞及 幾個世紀以來的污垢。

A museum guard immediately neutralized the acid with water.

博物館守衛馬上用水稀釋硫酸，

Restorers lifted the grime,

修復員把污垢清洗，

revealing that the painting was not set at night,

使人們得知原來畫中的場景 不是設於夜間，

and healed the slashes using adhesive and extra canvas backing.

並使用粘合劑和新的畫布 來修補戳刺的地方。

But they faced an even trickier problem.

但畫作面對著一個更大的難題。

In 1715, strips were removed from all sides of the canvas,

1715 年，為了符合阿姆斯特丹市政廳的畫框，

including two whole feet from the left, to fit it inside Amsterdam’s Town Hall.

畫作的四邊均被裁切， 甚至原作左邊被裁掉了足足 60 公分。

They've been lost ever since.

被裁掉的部分從此便永遠消失。

But a multi-year conservation project

2019 年開始的一個橫跨多年的 藝術作品修復項目

that began in 2019 replaced the missing pieces.

卻把缺失的部份補上了。

They managed this by training an artificial intelligence

他們訓練一個 AI，

to digitally paint in Rembrandt’s style.

透過數碼方法模仿林布蘭的畫風，

Then, using another artist’s rendering of the original,

然後，再使用另一位藝術家對原作的描繪，

the program recreated and printed the painting’s lost sections.

AI 程式便能重新創造這幅畫作缺失的部份。

Finally, the team returned “The Night Watch” to its full size,

最後，《夜巡》完整地重現人間，

with AI-generated best guesses to fill in the blanks.

就是透過 AI 推算出這些缺失的部份。

All of these paintings had been altered, but none of them were irrevocably ruined.

這些畫作曾被修改，但遭受的損壞 都不是無法補救的。

With painstaking scientific analysis and technical skill,

透過一絲不苟的科學分析和技術，

art conservators immortalize priceless artifacts.

藝術修復員讓這些 無價之藝術作品能夠永垂不朽。

They counteract sudden damage and creeping threats—

他們對抗突如其來的損壞 和潛在的威脅——

and sometimes, they perform near miracles.

有時，他們更創造奇蹟。

This video was made possible with support from Marriott Hotels.

這次影片得到萬豪酒店的支持。

With over 590 hotels and resorts across the globe,

萬豪酒店集團在全球擁有 逾 590 家酒店和度假區，

Marriott Hotels celebrates the curiosity that propels us to travel.

是求知的好奇心驅使我們踏上旅程， 萬豪酒店也為之而慶祝。

Check out some of the exciting ways TED-Ed and Marriott are working together

請查看 TED-Ed 和萬豪酒店 令人興奮的合作項目，

and book your next journey at Marriott Hotels.

下一趟旅程，歡迎您預訂 萬豪酒店的住宿。