Julia Burgun and Apolline Reichart, winners of the Pèlerin Prize for young craftsman 2024

It was a stroke of heart that decided on the Pèlerin prize for young craftsmen. These two classmates, friends in life and driven by the same passion, saving paintings, won over the jury. Julia Burgun and Apolline Reichart have just set up their restoration workshop in Paris, in a space bathed in light.

These two enthusiasts welcome clients whose paintings have suffered from flames, floods, lacerations or, more simply, the ravages of time which have dirtied them. But our restorers know how to put a smile on their owners’ faces. “Even torn in four, any painting can be restored,” confirms the duo.

At the same time surgeons, chemists and painters, they perform miracles, suture torn canvases, clean them of their stains, faithfully complete a face or a degraded sky. After their interventions, only UV light can reveal the scars. If they stand behind the artists with humility, the two restorers are overflowing with enthusiasm to bring their paintings back to life for centuries to come.