Lara Broecke
"When I trained as a paintings conservator, every lesson took place as a conversation in front of a work of art. We discussed what we could see on the surface, but also what was under and on top of the paint, and the other techniques, and materials the artist might have used. We imagined the world around the artist as well: the sounds and smells of the studio, the assistants and the clients. A painting can be a doorway into another time and place. Now, I can’t imagine learning or teaching art in any other way. "
My favourite place in Paris to shop for art supplies is the Sennelier shop at 3 Quai Voltaire. It’s a historic monument in its own right, and there’s something thrilling about knowing that you’re buying materials from the same place where Degas, Van Gogh and Picasso once shopped!
Lara has an MA in the history of art from Oxford University and a diploma in the conservation of paintings from Cambridge University. As a conservator, she has worked at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Westminster Abbey in London, and she has had the privilege of restoring masterpieces by Holbein, Canaletto, and Turner. Her book on early Italian painting techniques was published in 2015, and she is regularly invited to share her knowledge in technical art history. Since moving to France, Lara has developed her own artistic practice, working with historical materials and techniques, exhibiting regularly and selling her work internationally. Although Lara enjoys the quiet of the studio, as a guide, she loves sharing her insights and passions with visitors from around the world.
Take A Tour With Lara Broecke
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