SATURDAY LETTERS : ARTFUL RESTORATION

As a lover of art, both very old and very new, I was appalled by the article on the restoration of the Michelangelo Sistine Chapel ceiling (“More Artists Join Restoration Protest,” by William Wilson, March 18).

Those quoted having objections to the conservation had not even seen the work! It is preposterous to imagine that the Italians involved in the project are not of the highest expertise and integrity. Their tests, findings and methods have been open to the discussion of the most respected conservators worldwide.

Must we feel that centuries of dirt have protected and enhanced what Michelangelo created? Are we so accustomed to dark works of art that we cannot applaud and enjoy the magnificent and scholarly restoration of Michelangelo in our own century?

ANN JARVIS LONGYEAR

Pasadena