At the Musée d'Orsay, a Courbet painting is getting a makeover before the eyes of visitors

A master's precision and unfailing patience. In the main gallery of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, a side arcade is causing a stir. Visitors crowd between the inscriptions "Poitiers" and "Limoges" to observe a unique spectacle. Behind plexiglass panes, a handful of restorers are busy giving a new lease of life to Gustave Courbet 's (1819-1877) famous painting, A Burial at Ornans .

Since the beginning of June, the monumental canvas—6.68 meters long and 3.15 meters high—has been undergoing public restoration. Every Thursday morning, three groups of 12 people even enjoy an up-close and personal tour of the work. Inside the space reserved for restorers, scaffolding, spotlights, and tools useful for the restoration surround the realistic painting. For half an hour, the professionals discuss the work's history, explain the nature of their work, and the various stages of restoration.

This free initiative is open to all by reservation. "It's fascinating, I didn't think the profession of restorer required so many scientific skills ," says Sylvie, a retired sales manager, as she leaves the tour. "It made me want to come back in the coming months to see the progress of the project." Suspended in August, the tours will resume in September.

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