Restored painting by Jan Baptist presented at the Khanenko Museum with the support of OTP Group in Ukraine
For the first time, the Khanenko Museum in Kyiv hosted a one-day presentation of a restored 18th-century painting by Flemish landscape artist Jan Baptist van der Meiren “Mediterranean Harbor with a Caravan of Merchants”. The restoration was made possible with the support of OTP BANK JSC and LLC AMC OTP Capital, in partnership with Ukrainian businesses and clients.
The canvas, dated 1736 and measuring 1.6 by 2.4 meters, entered the museum’s collection in 1937 in poor condition. It had three large cracks, multiple deformations, and layers of overpainting and yellowed varnish. Moreover, the painting had no frame, which prevented it from ever being displayed to visitors. In 2021, OTP Capital, together with its partners, raised funds for the restoration. During the full-scale invasion, OTP BANK joined the fundraising campaign for the creation of a massive carved Baroque-style frame.
“Some might ask what connects a bank and art. In fact, they have more in common than it may seem. Both provide a foundation — financial and spiritual. As representatives of the financial foundation, we were honored to contribute to the restoration of such a majestic artwork that brings viewers joy and inspiration. Just imagine — nearly 800 people contributed to the fundraising for the frame. We are proud of projects that help people experience beauty”, said Lesia Syrota, Project Team Leader of OTP Bank Helps Ukraine and Head of Retail Sales and Branch Network Management at OTP BANK.
According to Nataliia Mezhenska, General Director of OTP Capital and initiator of the charitable project, the idea to raise funds for the restoration was born after visiting the Khanenko Museum and meeting with its leadership. It became clear that, due to a lack of financing, many masterpieces remain hidden from public display. This inspired the decision to “adopt” “Mediterranean Harbor with a Caravan of Merchants”.
The project became possible thanks to the joint efforts of businesses and cultural institutions. The initiative was supported by: JSC OTP Bank, LLC AMC OTP Capital, LLC BANZA, LLC Oxford Medical Clinic, and PJSC Insurance Company UNIQA Life.
The restoration was carried out by the National Research and Restoration Center of Ukraine, with Irina Salehina, a restorer of the highest qualification category, as the lead specialist. The frame was produced by Svit Ramok LLC.
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Public Joint Stock Company OTP Bank is a subsidiary of OTP Bank, which is the largest independent Central-Eastern-European banking group. JSC OTP Bank is one of the largest domestic banks, a recognized leader in the financial sector of Ukraine. The Bank provides a full range of financial services to corporate and private customers, as well as to small and medium enterprises. The bank entered the Ukrainian market in 1998, and since then it enjoys a staunch reputation of socially responsible, reliable and stable institution providing its consumers with services of European quality standard.
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