Quanta System, an Italian company belonging to the larger El.En. Group—a world leader in the design and production of lasers for science, industry, medicine and art conservation—has donated a sophisticated laser for art conservation to the John Paul Getty Museum in California. El.En. Group General Manager, Paolo Salvadeo, Quanta System General Manager, Girolamo Lionetti, and the Scientific Director for Restoration of El.En. SpA, Professor Alessandro Zanini, joined many of Quanta’s US stakeholders, along with the Getty’s authorities and the Vice Consul of Italy in Los Angeles, Valentina Gambelunghe, for the ceremony of consignment of this valuable equipment in Malibu.
Donation of a laser for art restoration by the Italian industrial group Quanta System to the Getty Museum
Quanta and El.En. have a precedent of donating lasers for fine art restoration to important museums throughout the world. Past donations have been made to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Vatican Museums in Vatican City. The donation to the Getty is specifically being made in memory of Dr. Khaled al Asaad, the architect killed by terrorists in Syria for refusing to reveal where he had hidden many Roman statues, in order to save these priceless works of art.
Lasers work by emitting a coherent light that is very precise and selective, which can be focused and directed to a specific target in a controlled way. They are of ideal use for cleaning works of art in absence of pre-consolidation and can remove centuries of environmental damage without harming the art itself. Quanta and El.En.’s lasers have restored priceless pieces by some of the greatest Masters, from Michelangelo to Leonardo, Verrocchio, Canova, Bernini, Giotto and Brunelleschi. They have also restored ancient frescos in Pompeii and Ercolano. Other restoration projects have used El. En. lasers on the leaning Tower of Pisa, the Duomo and the Baptistery of Florence, and, most recently, the Domitilla’s catacombs in Rome.
The Getty Villa is one of two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Located at the eastern end of the Malibu coast in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, the Getty Villa is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. The collection has 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities dating from 6,500 BC to 400 AD, including the Lansdowne Heracles and the Victorious Youth.
Thanks to the donation of the new Thunder Compact laser, restorers will be able to give new life to statues and marbles that have been deteriorated by time or by the attempt, in past centuries of preservation through the use of unwanted or aggressive patinas. The laser will clean many of the Getty’s statues, bas-reliefs, medals, and architectural pieces and restore their original patinas, surface texture and splendor.
The Conservation of Ancient Works Department director, Dr. Susanne Gänsicke, underlined how the laser donation in honor of Khaled al Asaad is extremely touching and symbolic, in addition to being helpful for the Museum. It is considered an honor for the museum and for its collaborators.
Paolo Salvadeo, General Manager of El.En. SpA said, ”I am happy and proud to bring the excellence of our country abroad, to give light back to these valuable and ancient works. As with previous donations, our aim is to provide a decisive contribution towards preserving the heritage of humanity, linked to a strong message that culture is an important heritage for future generations, and we have the duty to protect it and keep it in a good state of preservation. We are proud that Quanta System and the El.En. Group are the world leader in manufacturing of specific lasers for conservation of art works, by using the same Q-switched technologies used in medicine. Whether it’s art or human restoration, we cherish the same principle: taking the utmost care of people and art, both are masterpieces.”
Girolamo Lionetti, General Manager of Quanta System SpA, added, ”Being accepted again by the United States as a reference and trusted technological partner, after the positive experience at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is source of remarkable pride. Using this technology that is proudly made in Italy, capable of very high precision, selectivity and respect of the surfaces without damaging the artifact, a team of experts will start working to restore the relics conserved in one of the most important museums in the world to their former glory. We are honored to be a part of this work.”
Quanta System is an Italian company founded in 1985 with headquarter in Samarate (VA), Italy, since 2004 member of the international group El.En, and world leader in the production of lasers for three scientific fields: aesthetic medicine, surgery and art. Three divisions united by a single principle: to improve the quality of life of patients and taking care of people and art masterpieces. Founded as a spin-off of one of the largest research centers in lasers and optics field worldwide, Quanta System has taken the first steps in high energy physics, in plasma physics, spectroscopy and light-matter interaction.
The first lasers for the restoration of works of art were developed in 1994, and since 1997 it began the activity in the field of medical lasers for dermatology and aesthetic medicine. In 2008 the company developed its first surgical lasers, which now have significant international market share. A trusted partner for health facilities, physicians, institutions and organizations engaged in scientific projects, the activities of Quanta System are also aimed at the European and international research programs, in collaboration with prestigious universities and research centers around the world.
El.En. Group is one of the leading global players in the LASER world providing industrial, medical and conservation laser solutions. It is listed in the Star segment of the Italian Stock Exchange (mid caps).
Driven by constant research and development, El.En. is committed to producing advanced laser devices, excellence in terms of performance, cost effectiveness, reliability, respect for the environment and post-sale customer care.
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