Peter Paul Rubens’ The Boar Hunt: Tracing Authorship in a Wooden Panel

The ongoing restoration of Peter Paul Rubens’ monumental panel painting The Boar Hunt, at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden combines conservation practice, supported by the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund, with advanced technical and scientific research. The project involves close collaboration between the museum and the Studio Rubens initiative at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. This case study highlights the role of technical research in addressing questions of authorship within the restoration process. 

At the heart of the discussion is a focused research case concerning the painting’s upper wooden panel, which has been shown through technical examination to differ from the main composition. The discussion will explore how technical research contributes to attribution, informs conservation decisions, and shapes our understanding of authorship. More broadly, it situates technical research within transparent evaluation frameworks that bridge museum practice, scholarly research, and the standards applied in contexts such as TEFAF vetting. 

TEFAF Talks are interactive panel discussions exploring today’s most fascinating topics in the worlds of art, antiques, and design. Paired with leading content partners, these talks showcase the knowledge of leading experts in the broader TEFAF community. This talk is presented in partnership with ICOM-CC and moderated by Kate Seymour, Chair at ICOM-CC.