The jewel in the Auckland Art Gallery's crown is being unveiled to the public after a three-year absence.
James Tissot's masterpiece "Still on top" was badly damaged during an armed hold-up at the city's art gallery, and an intensive restoration project has given the painting new life and worth.
"I think the great joy of this is that we've got the work back, the damage has been brilliantly repaired and what sits on the gallery walls today is a tribute to not only to a great artist in Tissot but to some profoundly skilled people working behind the scenes repairing it," gallery spokesman Chris Saines says.
Three years ago the painting was ripped from the wall by an armed robber.
The painting was found four days later and was hardly recognisable - the canvas was slashed, the paint torn and missing.
The thief was eventually sentenced to 14 years jail for the robbery.
Then began a million dollar labour of love to knit the canvas threads together.
"Each step of the process was very time consuming and often we were working looking down a microscope for days on end," says chief conservator Sarah Hilary.
As a result the painting is now estimated to be worth millions of dollars, but for gallery staff its value is not only monetary.
"I think that it's a painting that feels even more special to the gallery than perhaps it once did," Saines says.
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