Lost Masterpiece Found in Beirut Explosion: Art Damage Fully Restored and Set for Getty Debut

In August 2020, a massive explosion struck the port of Beirut. It happened because 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored improperly. The blast killed over 200 people, injured more than 5,000, and left around 300,000 people without homes. The damage to the city was estimated at $15 billion. Along with homes and buildings, many historic sites were hit hard. One of them was the Sursock Palace, a 160-year-old building that held a collection of valuable art.

While workers cleaned up the palace, they found a painting that had been damaged in the explosion. This painting had holes, scratches, and tears from falling glass and debris. For years, it had been hanging in the palace without a clear label. At first, it was thought to be just another old artwork. But soon, experts realized it was much more important than anyone had guessed.

A Forgotten Painting Identified as a Gentileschi Masterpiece

After the explosion, Lebanese art historian Gregory Buchakjian came forward. He had previously studied two paintings in the Sursock Palace and believed they might be works by Artemisia Gentileschi. He had written about it in his master’s thesis, but the idea hadn’t gained much attention—until the blast made the art world take another look.

One of those paintings was the damaged canvas found after the explosion. After a full review by art experts, it was confirmed to be Hercules and Omphale, a long-lost painting by Artemisia Gentileschi. She was one of the most famous women painters of the 17th century, known for painting strong female characters from mythology and the Bible.

The painting shows a moment from a Greek myth. After killing Iphitus, Hercules is punished by the Delphic oracle and made to serve Queen Omphale of Lydia. In the painting, Omphale is standing tall, wearing Hercules’s lion skin and holding his club. Meanwhile, Hercules is shown sitting, partly undressed, and holding a spindle—a tool used in weaving, usually associated with women’s work. Cupid is also in the scene, smiling, which shows that love is beginning to form between them.

This subject fits Gentileschi’s known style. She often painted women in powerful roles, and she used myths to challenge gender roles. Art historians, including Davide Gasparotto at the Getty Museum, agreed that this painting was one of her works. He said it was likely painted in Naples in the 1630s when Gentileschi had moved there and was producing large, detailed works.

To support the painting’s history, Roderick Sursock, a member of the family who owns the palace, found an old receipt. It was undated but thought to be about 100 years old. It showed that the painting was bought from a dealer in Naples and that it came from the Spinelli family, a noble Italian family. This matched the painting’s likely origin and added to the proof that it was authentic.

A Long and Careful Restoration at the Getty

In 2022, the painting was sent to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles for restoration. When it arrived, it was in very poor condition. There were large holes, tears, and missing paint. One big tear cut across Hercules’s knee, and part of his nose was gone. Glass and plaster from the explosion had torn into the canvas.

Ulrich Birkmaier, the Getty’s senior conservator of paintings, led the restoration. He said it was one of the most difficult projects in his 30-year career. He worked closely with Italian conservator Matteo Rossi Doria. Together, they first relined the canvas to strengthen it and added a new flexible wooden stretcher to support the painting.

Then, they removed the debris and old varnish that had turned yellow over time. Slowly, the original colors began to show again. Using X-ray imaging, they found that Gentileschi had made small changes while painting, including adjusting Hercules’s face. The X-rays helped the team rebuild the damaged parts with better accuracy.

Perhaps the hardest area to fix was the foot of a female figure in the corner of the painting. Birkmaier called on realist painter and collector Federico Castelluccio to help. Castelluccio painted a version of the foot based on what was left, which guided the team’s repairs.

Even with the best efforts, some damage remains. Birkmaier said that’s not a problem. In his words, “We don’t want to go so far with the conservation as to create something new.” The goal was to restore the painting while keeping its original spirit and history.

The Painting’s First Public Showing and Its Future

Now that the painting has been fully restored, it will be shown to the public for the first time. On June 10, 2025, it will be the centerpiece of a special exhibit at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The show is called Artemisia’s Strong Women: Rescuing a Masterpiece and will run until September 14.

The exhibit will also feature other paintings by Gentileschi. These include Lucretia, bought by the Getty in 2019; Susanna and the Elders, on loan from producer Dick Wolf; Bathsheba and David, from the Columbus Museum of Art; and Self-Portrait as a Martyr, from a private collection.

Art historian Sheila Barker saw the painting during restoration. She said it was “powerful, fascinating, fun,” and confirmed that it was truly by Gentileschi. She said there was no sign that anyone else had worked on it and that it likely came from the peak of her career.

After the Los Angeles show, the painting will go to the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio. Then it will return to the Getty on a long-term loan. Finally, it will go back to Beirut once the Sursock Palace is repaired. That work is part of UNESCO’s LiBeirut program, which began in 2021 to help protect Beirut’s damaged cultural heritage.

Getty Museum director Timothy Potts called the discovery and restoration “a momentous occasion for art historians around the world.” He also thanked the Sursock Palace for trusting the Getty with the project.