In July of 2018, conservation of the iconic Statue of David at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art began, a project made possible by The Sarasota Giving Challenge.

Ringling Conservation staff and contracted conservators have been hard at work treating the "Watermelon Regatta" allegorical painting. In this latest step, an isolating varnish was applied to the entire canvas.

In 2017 The Ringling conservation staff began a major restoration treatment of the "Watermelon Regatta." Find out about the conservation process for this unique work, created in Italy in the early 1700s.