St James, Mattia Preti

The painting representing St James by Mattia Preti is currently being restored under the initiative of The St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation with the generous sponsorship of the National Student Travel Foundation. Works have been entrusted to Giuseppe Mantella Restauri.

The painting was in desperate need of restoration as it had suffered from the ravages of time and showed serious signs of deterioration of the paint layer as well as the supporting canvas and frame. The restoration of the painting will therefore include the removal of altered varnishes and over paintings, consolidation of preparatory layers and relining, all of which will be done using reversible methods.

The altar painting was commissioned for the chapel of the Langue of Castille, Leon and Portugal in c.1660 by the Spanish knights of the Order of St John. St James is the patron saint of Spain, having travelled there as a missionary during his lifetime.