The Ringling unveils the newly restored Watermelon Regatta painting on view for a limited time only.

Over seven years ago, conservators at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art began a comprehensive examination of the Watermelon Regatta, a fascinating early 18th century Italian painting that had suffered significant damage. This extended study led to a painstaking conservation treatment that commenced in 2017 and has been carried out intermittently since that time. The painting conservators at The Ringling were assisted by several conservation Interns and Fellows, as well as contracted conservators.

This oil painting on canvas has been attributed to The Master of the Fertility of the Egg, a name used by art historians for an as-yet unidentified painter active in northern Italy around 1700. The Master’s works typically represent the world reversed, with animals doing things that humans do. His absurd compositions satirize the madness, vanity, and ridiculous folly of human life, but in a spirit of comic levity and fun.

This painting and its conservation efforts were the focus of The Ringling’s 2016 Giving Challenge, supported by numerous local donors. Conservation work was more recently supported by the David A. Straz, Jr. Foundation.

Related Program

Tue, April 23 @ 11:00 AM | Gallery Talk with Barbara A. Ramsay Tickets

Join Chief Conservator, Barbara A. Ramsay, as she discusses the major conservation work recently completed on the Watermelon Regatta, an unusual 18th-century Italian painting.