OXFORD, England—The restored sections of the ceiling artwork at Oxford's Sheldonian theater have been reinstalled, and will be revealed in a celebration on November 7, reports the Guardian. The quality of the painting, completed in 1670 by Robert Streater, is a matter of debate, however. Some viewers reportedly compared it to a work by Rubens or Michelangelo upon its original unveiling in 1670, but Jon Whiteley, an expert on art of the period at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum, notes, "It has real ingenuity and originality of composition, but I would rank Streater a third-rate painter."

Designed by Christopher Wren, the Sheldonian was erected so Oxford could have a worthy public space for degree ceremonies and other academic gatherings. The painting itself depicts tumbling figures among clouds and a symbolic narrative of truth descending on the arts and sciences, while envy, rapine, and ignorance are cast out of the university. Painted with smalt, a cheap pigment that turns brown or gray over time, the work was repeatedly repainted. While removing the 32 sections of the painting, workers discovered that the underside of the canvas was damaged by water leaking from the ceiling and by garbage left by previous generations of workers — including a package, addressed to the next curator, containing a filthy pair of pants.