Project Awarded Kress Grant

In May 2014, the project Conserving a Giant: Resurrecting Pietro da Cortona's "Triumph of David" was awarded a substantial grant from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. These funds helped to support acquisition of the X-radiograph of the gigantic canvas and to support research travel associated with the project (specifically to Rome, Italy). The Kress foundation praised the interdisciplinary nature of the project, which had thus far involved a number of department and offices at Villanova and surrounding institutions, engaging scholars and students of art conservation, chemistry, history, and art history. The grant also supported the collaboration between members of the conservation team, Villanova University's Falvey Library, and UNIT (the IT Department) to create a "webexhibit" exploring the Triumph of David. Finally, remaining funds from the grant would support a symposium at the completion of the project, an event that will involve a number of scholars and students from various fields who have contributed to the Conserving a Giant project (proposed date October 26th, 2015 (Pictured here: Dr. Anthony Lagalante, Kristin deGhetaldi, and Dr. Timothy McCall
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