LG Electronics Assists in Restoring 133-Year-Old Vincent van Gogh Masterpiece

Restoration Equipment and Costs for 1888's 'Arleui Red Vineyard' Supported by LG Electronics
The Only Painting Sold During Van Gogh's Lifetime and Completed at His Peak

Staff members at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia, are moving artworks for restoration work. A nearby filming crew is producing a documentary capturing the restoration process and its significance.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] LG Electronics is assisting in the restoration of a 133-year-old Vincent van Gogh painting to a state close to its original condition.

On the 30th, LG Electronics announced that it is providing the necessary equipment and funding to restore van Gogh's work "Red Vineyards at Arles," exhibited at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia. The restoration work began in August.

LG Electronics has undertaken this sponsorship to preserve a world-renowned cultural heritage. Additionally, the company believes that the restoration project will contribute to strengthening global marketing in the fields of culture and art based on the premium strategy of "LG SIGNATURE."

When van Gogh painted "Red Vineyards at Arles" in 1888, he used some paint containing lead chromate, which changes color when exposed to ultraviolet light. He also applied his characteristic technique of thickly layering paint. Due to these features, during the painting's movement through events such as the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and the World Wars, the paint discolored and cracks appeared, necessitating special preservation measures. The Pushkin Museum has not loaned the painting outside the museum even once since it was first exhibited in 1948 to minimize damage.

This painting is the only one sold during van Gogh's lifetime. He completed it while staying in Arles, southern France, two years before his death. This period is known as the peak of his genius. Considering this background and the artwork's artistic value, its insured value is estimated at over $80 million (approximately 95 billion KRW).

Employees at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia, are moving artworks for restoration work. A nearby filming crew is producing a documentary capturing the restoration process and its significance.

During the restoration, the team also discovered new facts. After van Gogh completed the painting but before it was fully dried, he did not separate it completely from other works and sent them together to his brother Theo van Gogh, resulting in traces of other works remaining on "Red Vineyards at Arles." Additionally, the man on the right side of the road was initially painted as a woman but was later corrected. Van Gogh began working on this piece outdoors but moved indoors to complete it, during which he added a woman holding a basket to the front of the painting. LG Electronics and the restoration team expect these findings to contribute to art history.

The restoration work is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. The painting will be publicly exhibited again early next year in the main exhibition hall of the Pushkin Museum as part of the "Morozov Collection."

LG Electronics plans to produce four documentaries about the restoration process and its significance in collaboration with the Russian online video service (OTT) provider IVI, which will be released sequentially to customers starting from the 10th of next month. The videos will also be available on the official LG SIGNATURE website, social media channels, and YouTube.

Since November last year, LG Electronics has been sponsoring the Pushkin Museum. Every Wednesday, the museum's official website, social media, and YouTube feature the "Pushkin x LG SIGNATURE" program, a TED-style lecture series focused on art. This program includes lectures and discussions by prominent figures in the art world.

Youngnam Noh, Managing Director of LG Electronics Russia, said, "We are honored to contribute to the restoration of Vincent van Gogh's work. We believe that protecting world cultural heritage is also a corporate social responsibility, and we will continue to strive to repay our customers' love and have a positive impact on society."

Vincent van Gogh's 1888 work, "Red Vineyards at Arles."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.