The restored 15th-century Monumental Door in the Louvre – History

The door of Palazzo Stanga, a masterpiece of Lombard Renaissance architecture now housed in the Louvre, has been restored, removing the brown layer that obscured its decorative details and original style. It is now much more readable, thanks also to a new lighting system that enhances the depth of the relief.

It was built in 1490 for the Palazzo Stanga di Castelnuovo in Cremona, a massive building over 23 feet high that was inspired by ancient triumphal arches. It is decorated with mythological images, mainly scenes and characters from the story of Hercules and Perseus. Below the half-column are depicted the four exploits of Hercules – Antaeus, the Hydra of Renae, the Nemean Lion and the Stymphalian Bird. The seven heads of the Hydra are the figures featured in the emblem at the center of the portal. The three heads of the Gorgon and the head of Pegasus are in the emblem on the right. Hercules wielding his club is on one side; on the other is Perseus in armor. Above the entablature arches are war reliefs, alternating with busts of Roman emperors. Rolling leaves and fantastical animals intertwine between the main scenes.

The design is attributed to the Milanese sculptor Giovanni Pietro da Rho, who was active in Cremona from 1480 to 1508. Originally built by the Marquis Cristoforo Stanga, a loyal follower of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the first Duke of Milan, it was purchased in the early 18th century by Scipione I de’ Rossi, who remodeled the palace in the Baroque style. In 1870, the palace was sold to an engineer, who completely rebuilt the facade, removing the monumental portal of da Rho. In 1875 he sold the whole thing to an antiquities banker from Marseille, who then sold it to the Louvre for twice what he paid for it.

This door has been on display in Michelangelo’s Gallery since 1877. It provides a dramatic backdrop to masterpieces of Italian sculpture from the 16th to 19th centuries, including Michelangelo’s two unfinished Slaves for the tomb of Pope Julius II.

The material used in the construction of the portal is Candoria marble, the same material used in the construction of Milan Cathedral. However, in the 19th century, the surface of the door was covered with a dark brown paint and subsequently waxed. While these treatments may have had a protective function, they gradually altered the legibility of the work, flattening the volume and obscuring detail. […]

Hubert Boursier and Jennifer Vatelot, together with Hélène Susini and Azzurra Palazzo of the C2RMF Sculpture Restoration Service, conducted extensive tests to determine the most effective and least invasive method. The team responsible for the intervention, under the guidance of restorers Adèle Cambon and Annabelle Sansalone, began using lasers to remove the dark layer, supplemented by a light chemical treatment to remove the wax, while fully respecting the original material.

Layers of nineteenth-century painting have left a slight golden tint on the marble. Using the laser more intensely may weaken it further, but it carries the risk of affecting the original surface of the material. The conservative choices adopted made it possible to restore the quality of the reliefs, the modulation of the volumes and the clarity of the outlines, draperies and medallions, while also allowing the rediscovery of the black stone inlays that emphasize and enhance the decorative process.