Ohara Museum of Art, Ohara Art Foundation, which owns many of the artist’s most celebrated works, has completed the restoration of El Greco’s The Annunciation, its first restoration in 66 years.
A preview exhibition—the first display since the restoration, ahead of the full public reopening from April 2026—began on October 21, 2025. From the first day, many visitors have stopped in front of the painting to admire it.
This restoration project was carried out with the help of painting conservator Eva Martinez, invited from the Prado Museum in Spain. Its main aim was to carefully remove the old varnish, yellowed by age, and surface grime, and to restore, as far as possible, the original colors painted by El Greco.
This article introduces the preview exhibition, what was discovered during the restoration, and a question-and-answer session with a museum researcher.
Information in this article was current when it was published in November 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Restored colors and new discoveries
The Annunciation was purchased in Paris in 1922 by painter Kojima Torajiro, with the support of Ohara Magosaburo. Since then, the work has been cherished in Kurashiki for more than 100 years.
During the restoration process, scientific investigations, including ultraviolet analysis, were also conducted.
These revealed, for example, that the cloth draped in a large, flowing shape from the basket at the Virgin Mary’s feet had been repainted during an earlier restoration.
A panel also explains that the restorers considered how to treat the crown of twelve stars on the Virgin Mary’s head.
The painting will be on display as part of the preview exhibition through December 21, 2025, and will then be exhibited at the Nakanoshima Kosetsu Museum of Art in Osaka from January 3 to March 29, 2026.
The Ohara Museum of Art will also close for an extended period from February 9 to April 24, 2026, so the full reopening is planned for after that. The museum is considering an expanded display of restoration-related materials for the full reopening, so that visitors returning to the Ohara Museum of Art can enjoy the work in greater depth.
The restoration of The Annunciation is complete: hopes for its public display
We spoke with Yumi Otsuka, a researcher at the Ohara Art Foundation, about the newly vivid El Greco painting The Annunciation, her thoughts on completing the restoration, and what changed in the work.
Now that the preview reopening has begun, how do you feel?
Otsuka (titles omitted)
I’m delighted that everyone can see El Greco’s The Annunciation after its restoration. We’re also displaying high-resolution replicas from before and during the restoration, so visitors can compare them and enjoy seeing the differences.
The colors have changed as a result of the first restoration in 66 years, so I hope visitors will take a close look.
Which specific areas have changed from before the restoration?
Otsuka
The cloth on top of the basket at the Virgin Mary’s feet.
Scientific investigation revealed that the section where the cloth was painted flowing downward used paint that did not exist before the 19th century.
Conservator Eva referred to other works by El Greco and adjusted the shape of the cloth so that it would look natural.
Did the restoration reveal anything about El Greco’s technique?
Otsuka
El Greco excelled at the distinctive technique of letting the ground show through. He used transparent layers of paint over the ground to create a sense of depth and texture.
The ground layer is reddish brown. You can see it, for example, in the wings of the Archangel Gabriel, the clouds at his feet, and the space in the background.
In past restorations, this technique of exposing the ground, distinctive to El Greco, was mistaken for deterioration, and some areas were likely painted over. In this restoration, those additions were carefully removed, bringing back the expression that makes use of the ground as El Greco intended.
What was particularly challenging about this restoration?
Otsuka
Conservator Eva told me that she took great care with the “inpainting” used to fill in missing areas, making sure not to interfere at all with the parts originally painted by El Greco himself.
When was the restoration carried out?
Otsuka
The restoration work itself was completed in mid-August.
After a period to stabilize and secure the work, it was ready to be displayed at this time.
How do you think El Greco himself would feel if he saw the painting after its restoration?
Otsuka
We restored it with the aim of bringing it as close as possible to how it looked when El Greco painted it. So I imagine that El Greco himself would be pleased with it.
When I think about it that way, I feel that the fact that so many people can admire his work here in Japan, far from Spain where he was active, is a great achievement in intercultural exchange.
What did Eva say after completing the restoration?
Otsuka
She said that she felt the restoration had gone very well as a piece of work she had undertaken. I also heard that being able to restore an important painting in Japan was a wonderful and valuable experience.
What was your impression when you saw the painting after its restoration?
Otsuka
The colors have become more vivid.
I also feel that the shading is more natural. Before the restoration, some areas seemed to have dark shadows, but I think the colors are now softer.
The sense of depth is also clearer, and I felt a new appeal in El Greco’s painting.
The precious beauty of The Annunciation, as it appeared when painted
I finally got to see the restored The Annunciation.
When I saw the painting back in the place where The Annunciation had been displayed, all I could think was, “Beautiful.” It is so bright and vivid that it is hard to believe it was painted more than 400 years ago.
I hope you will look closely at the wings of the Archangel Gabriel, the white of the clouds and the dove of the Holy Spirit, the shadows in the background, and the basket at the Virgin Mary’s feet, comparing them with the replicas from before and during the restoration. The panels explaining the restoration process also revealed the behind-the-scenes work of conservation, which we don’t usually get to learn about. Reading the explanations will help you enjoy the painting more deeply.
This preview exhibition runs through Sunday, December 21, 2025.
After its exhibition in Osaka, the full exhibition will take place after the Ohara Museum of Art’s extended closure.
For details, please check the Ohara Museum of Art website.
Articles about the Ohara Museum of Art
Ohara Museum of Art Information
| Name | Ohara Museum of Art |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1-15 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-0005 |
| Parking | None |
| Opening hours | 【December–February】 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (last admission: 2:30 p.m.) 【March–November】 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (last admission: 4:30 p.m.) |
| Closed | Mondays Open when a Monday falls on a national holiday or substitute holiday Closed during the winter; may also close temporarily |
| Admission (tax included) | 【General admission】 Adults: ¥2,000 High school, junior high school, and elementary school students (under 18): ¥500 |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available No reservation required for individuals |
| Smoking | Entire facility is non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style restrooms, accessible restrooms |
| Families with children | Nursing room, diaper-changing tables, stroller rental The nursing room is in the Craft Museum Diaper-changing tables are on the second floor of the Main Building and in the Craft Museum |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair rental, ramps, accessible restrooms, elevator |
| Website | Ohara Museum of Art Official Website |
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