Van Gogh work 'The Bedroom' undergoes restoration

[March 12, 2010]  AMSTERDAM (AP) -- One of Vincent van Gogh's most famous paintings, "The Bedroom," has been taken away for restoration, but art lovers don't have to miss it. They can follow the cleanup on a blog, the Van Gogh Museum said Thursday.

The 1888 painting of Van Gogh's room in the French city of Arles, with its brilliant lavender walls and pine-colored bed, was one of the artist's favorite works.

An examination of the work, including micrographs and x-rays, found that it needed major treatment to restore its fading colors, museum spokeswoman Natalie Bos said.

The painting was removed from exhibition in January, and the restoration work was expected to continue through August, she said.

The head of the project, Ella Hendriks, will blog on the restoration once or twice a week, offering a rare view of how such work is done.

"We wanted to keep it virtually visible," Bos said.

Van Gogh made a copy of the painting after it suffered water damage and he sent the original to his brother Theo in Paris to repair. The second version is now on display in Chicago. He later painted a smaller copy, which is in Paris.

[Associated Press]

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