SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — The University of Scranton unveiled a newly restored 16th-century Italian Renaissance painting Thursday evening after conservators discovered a hidden figure and background that had been covered for years.
The painting, “Madonna and Child with the Young St. John the Baptist,” was attributed to Niccolò Betti and was presented during a ceremony at the Weinberg Memorial Library.
The work was gifted by the Morgan family to the university with a simple, black, featureless background that was believed to be original. Later, during restoration, conservators determined the dark backdrop had been added long after the painting’s creation and began to uncover original elements beneath it.
John Powell, co-owner of Chelsea Restoration, said the breakthrough came as he moved beyond surface cleaning and deeper into layers that had built up over time.
“Sort of halfway through, after I removed the soot and dirt and began to dive a little further into the varnish, the black overpaint started coming off. Where I was cleaning was exactly where the figure was, so I could see there was a flesh-colored figure underneath,” said Powell.
The newly revealed figure was an infant Saint John the Baptist, and conservators also uncovered a darker woodland setting behind Mary and the infant Jesus. Powell said the addition of Saint John changed the dynamics of the scene, creating more depth and action. He added that the scene shifted from a stark pairing to a more active triangular composition, with Saint John’s gaze toward Mary drawing the viewer into the moment and making the painting feel more typical of Renaissance work.
The ceremony featured remarks from Powell and Robert Simon, Ph.D., an art historian and president of Robert Simon Fine Art.
Simon said the painting’s subject fit a common devotional tradition in Florence, Italy, where images often paired the Virgin Mary with Saint John the Baptist.
“Madonna and Child paintings are the most popular in Renaissance Italy. In Florence, the patron saint is Saint John the Baptist, and the patroness is the Virgin Mary. So it’s kind of wonderful for the piece to be cleaned and for what we thought might be there to come to light,” said Simon.
The ceremony was led by George Aulisio, dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library, who said the restored painting would become the oldest artwork displayed in the library itself and would add to the university’s broader art holdings.
The painting will remain on display on the fourth floor of the Weinberg Memorial Library in a quiet study room and will be available for public viewing during regular library hours.