Cinzia Pasquali (left) gives a lecture at the National Museum of China in Beijing, on November 7, 2024. Photo: Dong Feng/GT

The Embassy of Italy in China and the National Museum of China (NMC) jointly hosted a lecture titled "What is the truth of art" that served as a warm-up session for the upcoming "Caravaggio's World of Art" exhibition in Beijing on November 7. The lecture aims to bring an enriched experience to the audience. 

The exhibition features Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), one of the most revolutionary figures of European art. 

Cinzia Pasquali, the speaker at the lecture, has led many large-scale restoration projects in Italy. Since 1990, Pasquali has been directing large-scale and complex restoration work in France, including the Galerie d'Apollon (the Apollo Gallery) in the Louvre, the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, and the Grand Singerie at the Château de Chantilly. While working at the French Museum Research and Restoration Center, she restored many representative works.

Pasquali said that she is really pleased to see the painting featured at the NMC. Her lecture consisted of four parts: A basic introduction to the profession of restoration and the restoration achievements of experts in this field, background knowledge of Mary Magdalene, an introduction to the restoration process of Mary Magdalene, and a comparison and analysis of this painting with his other works.