A rare close-up view of a Leonardo masterpiece under restoration

Описание: (25 Jan 2026)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Milan, Italy - 20 January 2026

1. Mid of restorers applying rice paper to the ceiling of the Sala delle Asse painted by Leonardo Da Vinci
2. Various of restorers using a brush soaked in demineralized water to apply rice paper onto the painted ceiling
3. Wide of restorers on the scaffold working on the ceiling of the Sala delle Asse painted by Leonardo
4. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luca Tosi, curator of cultural heritage at the Sforza Castle in Milan:
“This room was truly extremely unlucky because Leonardo never finished it. In 1498 he had to flee because the French arrived in Milan, and after that date it was covered over, hidden. It became a military space, the castle became a barracks and these paintings were covered with whitewash and plaster and forgotten. Only in the 1900s (was it) rediscovered, and then it was repainted in 1901. As a result, Leonardo scholars no longer recognized them as a true Leonardo, but rather as a repainted Leonardo, somewhat a fake, to use a popular term.”

5. Wide of restoration site
6. Mid of restorer applying a piece of rice paper
7. Close of the hand of a restorer using a brush
8. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luca Tosi, curator of cultural heritage at the Sforza Castle in Milan:
“The room had barely been restored since the 1950s, so it was in fairly good condition, but there were signs of deterioration that needed to be addressed. First and foremost, the salts, which are those surface elements that literally and physically push the paint down and can risk causing it to fall off, as if it were a superficial film.”

9. Wide of restorers working on the restoration site
10. Close of the hands of a restorer holding a sheet of rice paper
11. Wide of a restorer at work
12. Mid of a restorer working on a portion of the painting
13. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luca Tosi, curator of cultural heritage at the Sforza Castle in Milan:
“As you can see, these sheets of Japanese rice paper are applied to the wall with demineralized water and then literally, as if it were a sponge effect, it reduces and eliminates these superficial salts.”

14. Wide of a restorer applying a sheets of Japanese rice paper
15. Mid of the application process
16. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luca Tosi, curator of cultural heritage at the Sforza Castle in Milan:
“The hardest part is that Leonardo's painting is very delicate, there are some liftings, there are more fragile parts and therefore the work must be done centimetre by centimetre, with the utmost attention and care.”

17. Pan right of a portion of the painted walls
18. Close of Leonardo’s painting
19. Tilt up of the scaffolding
20. Low angle of people walking on the scaffolding
21. Wide of visitors walking on the scaffolding to see the restoration site
22. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Tommaso Sacchi, Councillor for Culture of the municipality of Milan:
“It's a thrill, first and foremost, because it shows how Leonardo's genius was shaped by a circular desire for knowledge and study. These are leaves, plant species, studied and then reproduced, as we know this genius did throughout his life and in other works. So it's a thrill to know another Leonardo and to experience this extraordinary dedication to various forms of knowledge by this fundamental figure in our history.”

23. Tilt left from scaffold to an unfinished portion of wall in the lower part of the room
24. Close of a sketch on the wall by Leonardo
25. Tilt up of pictures showing how the restoration work will look like when completed
26. Wide of workers looking at a screen

28. Various of external views of the Sforza Castle.
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