FRANCISCO ALBO
07/01/2020 – (La Voz de Galicia)
The gallery of the Colegio de la Compañía de Monforte de Lemos already has a new lighting system that was designed with the aim of making it easier for visitors to see the valuable works of art that it keeps and also to guarantee its conservation. The spotlights that were located at the top of the room were mostly removed and replaced by other light sources that point directly at the paintings. “The installation was made in such a way that now the light seems to come out of the paintings themselves, which have gained visibility and can be seen much better than before,” said professor and priest Javier Aguado, president of the school’s board of trustees.
The new lighting has been applied to all the paintings, among which two original canvases by El Greco stand out —a San Francisco and a San Lorenzo— and five oil paintings on walnut wood, which are old copies of many other works by the Italian Renaissance painter Andrea del Sarto, with the figures of Saint Peter, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret and Saint Agnes. The lighting of the showcases in the room has also been renewed, containing religious images, bibliographic pieces, objects for liturgical use and other elements. The light fabrics that served as background for these showcases were replaced by others of a dark color so that the pieces they contain can be better viewed. The light sources now used by the gallery are LED technology without ultraviolet or infrared radiation, with minimal thermal dissipation, following the standards currently recommended for the lighting of artistic pieces in this class. About 35,200 euros have been invested in the new facility, of which 20% was contributed by the school’s foundation. The rest of the financing was obtained thanks to an agreement with the Axencia de Turismo de Galicia and the Instituto Enerxético de Galicia.
