The Wallace Collection
Fragonard's 'The Swing'
Between August and November 2021, Fragonard's Rococo masterpiece 'The Swing' underwent sensitive conservation in an effort to reverse the natural ageing process, which had diminished the painting's appearance.
Because of its importance, the painting is rarely off public display, and it had not been cleaned for over one hundred years. As a result, the paint surface had become obscured by severely yellowed varnish, while old retouching had become visible. Onsite conservation was thus planned to address this issue. The project thus represented an exciting direction for conservation at the Wallace Collection.NextShoot was commissioned to document the entire process, exploring the painting's origins, fame and controversy, following the painstaking restoration process from beginning to end and, of course, filming its rehanging at the heart of the collection.
