Marcel Gibrat Works

Article from 1960 or so shortly after the 1959 renovation of the MMOA when Marcel was a restorer there.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has recently acquired an Assyrian bas-relief from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II (883–859 B.C.) at Nimrud, a city in what is now northern Iraq. A relic of a grand and barbaric era, it depicts a winged spirit with the head of an eagle, blessing a sacred tree.
The museum’s director, David Carter, announced the purchase without revealing the price, remarking only that “it is very rare to find on the world market a relief of such historical value.”
The Assyrian bas-relief shown above was photographed before restoration began in the museum’s basement, under the supervision of M. Gibrat, an internationally renowned restorer.