AMSTERDAM: A "full body scan" carried out on the Van Gogh Museum's version of the Dutch master's iconic "Sunflowers" has shown the painting is not fit to travel because it's in "stable but vulnerable" condition, the museum's director said Thursday.
"We've decided that any stresses that the picture could be subjected to, was it to travel, was (it) to be lent, that those might be too risky," director Axel Rueger told The Associated Press in the studio where the painting is undergoing restoration. "Therefore, we decided that from now on we will not be able to lend the picture anymore to other exhibitions to other museums — so it will always stay in Amsterdam."
For Van Gogh fans who can't make it to Amsterdam, the predominantly yellow 1889 painting of a bunch of sunflowers in a vase is based on another version of the work painted a year earlier that is on display at London's National Gallery. Other versions of the work are in Philadelphia, Tokyo, and Munich.
The painting in Amsterdam is hardly a frequent flyer — it has only been loaned out six times, the last time to the National Gallery so it could hang next to that London museum's version.
Ella Hendriks, who worked on the current restoration project, said the painting underwent a series of tests she likened to a "full body scan" on a human patient. The tests used precision imaging machines to peer through the surface and decide what could and could not be done to the painting.
One test, usually used to examine retinas, gave a crucial insight by creating a "virtual cross-section" of layers of paint and varnish.
"We can see ... that the paint layer is mixed in together with the varnish layer so there's not a clear division between them," Hendriks said.
That discovery has limited the amount of work restorer Rene Boitelle can carry out. He will remove some patches of beeswax that was applied after Van Gogh finished the work and have now gone a milky white color, and will use special paint to rework some previous restorations to make them less visible.
To return the painting to its original state would involve removing the varnish, which Van Gogh did not apply to the painting. Also, some previous restorations are under the varnish and can't be treated.
"That varnish cannot be removed safely - at least not with the methods and materials available to us now," Boitelle said. "I can remove the wax but the retouchings are there to stay - at least for now."
The painting will go back on display at the museum Feb. 22 and an exhibition about the research and restoration will open in June.
That means Boitelle has just a few more weeks to incredibly carefully spruce up one of the world's most recognizable artworks.
"It's quite exciting, obviously, but I try not to be too aware and too conscious of all the myths and the iconic value that the painting has," he said. "After all it's still just a painting like so many we've treated here in this studio and I'll treat it with the same dedication and seriousness and concentration as I would treat any other painting that is not iconic."
Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ staying put in Amsterdam museum
Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ staying put in Amsterdam museum
Sony’s Alpha Femme initiative debuts in UAE ahead of Saudi launch
JEDDAH: Sony has brought its Alpha Femme initiative to the UAE for the first time, with several workshops taking place this week ahead of the next edition in Saudi Arabia.
Emirati photographer and Sony’s digital imaging ambassador Amani AlShaali conducted a workshop on fine art photography at Garage Studio in Dubai on Sunday.
The workshops in the UAE are designed to support women across photography, videography, cinematography, and content creation.
Suchismita Bhattarcharjee, category manager, interchangeable lens cameras, Sony Middle East and Africa, spoke to Arab News about the initiative and its goals for the region’s female content creators.
“Bringing a program like Alpha Femme to the UAE was part of our effort at nurturing local creator communities, with a specific focus on supporting women who are shaping visual storytelling in meaningful and impactful ways,” said Bhattarcharjee.
“Access to learning platforms and communities, such as Alpha Femme, play a key role in helping creators build both technical capability and creative direction.”
Sony’s goal for participants, she said, was to “walk away with stronger professional connections, enhanced creative confidence, and practical knowledge that they can apply directly to their work.
“What is equally important is the sense of community and peer exchange that this will offer, creating a network where women can support one another, share experiences, and continue growing together within the region’s evolving creator landscape,” she added.
Alpha Femme in the UAE will organize monthly workshops to empower women across the creative industry.
The workshop topics will revolve around “practical creative skills, real-world workflows, and the evolving needs of the creative economy, ensuring the program remains relevant and responsive to the community it supports.”
These sessions are designed to bring beginner and experienced creators together for hands-on learning, industry knowledge sharing, and direct engagement with Sony ambassadors and speakers.
The launch of the initiative in UAE follows editions in Kuwait, South Africa, Egypt, and Kazakhstan.
“Sony is continuing to expand the initiative across the region, with the next edition set to take place in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing Alpha Femme’s role as a growing regional platform for women in visual storytelling,” said Bhattarcharjee.
