Young Man Breaking a Stick, 16th century
Unknown maker, Emilian School, Italy
Oil on canvas, lined, 20 7/8 × 15 7/8 × 3/4 in. (52.9 × 40.2 × 1.8 cm)
Restored, 20th century; conserved, 2018
Collection of William Zachs

This painting, at times thought to be a lost canvas by Correggio, was found in the course of examination by a conservator to have been extensively restored in the past. The degree to which sixteenth-century paint layers had survived was unclear and difficult to discern without removing the skillful restorations. Artifacts that bear the accretions of their histories are often celebrated for their conceptual richness. However, in practice, what is the conservator’s role in moderating the passage of time experienced by an item? An allegiance to the “original” item may be a familiar concept, but to what extent is the original discernible, possible, and, importantly, desirable? Here, the current owner opted to leave the restored paint layers intact as a testament to the painting’s enigmatic past.