10-year art restoration project ends

The huge restoration project took more than 10 years

Conservation work on a set of four paintings lasting more than 10 years and costing around £20,000 has finally finished.

The set of four 18th century paintings by the Italian artist Casali have now been returned to their home in Bath.

The paintings Pan, Ceres, Pamona and Mercury are now being prepared for their public airing at the Somerset city's Royal Literary and Scientific Institution.

The paintings were restored by experts in Bristol who removed centuries of grime before the restoration work could begin.

Bob Draper of the institution said: "We had to do the work because essentially there was water coming through the roof.

"It started finding its way through the building, down to where the paintings were, so whether we wanted to or not, essentially we had to take them down."

Seonaid Wood of the Fine Art Conservation Studio added: "It's very rewarding. I mean it's wonderful to see them back in the ceiling after years of conservation work.

"It's also nice to se them reinstated and seeing them in the place where they are going to hang."