After the Fall: The Conservation of a Met Masterpiece

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.

On the night of October 6, 2002, the pedestal supporting Adam by Tullio Lombardo gave way, and the Venetian Renaissance sculpture fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.

While damage to any artwork is just about the worst thing that could happen in a museum, this was particularly catastrophic, as the sculpture is among the most important works of art from Renaissance Venice to be found outside that city today.

View this video about how conservators put the hundreds of pieces back together again:

For more video, including a 3 minute time lapse of the conservation of Tullio Lombardo’s Adam, visit Met Media at met museum.org