This is a superbly illustrated and comprehensive account of the extensive project to restore the Uffizi Gallery's Niobe Room and its works. Designed by the Italian architect Gaspero Maria Paoletti in the late 1770s to house the stunning marble sculptures of Niobe and her tragic family, along with a number of magnificent 17th century canvases, the Niobe Room in the Uffizi Gallery has long been considered one of the finest rooms in the museum. However, in 1993 a car bomb exploded nearby severely damaging the Uffizi and the Niobe room in particular. Now, after an extensive, often demanding and expensive restoration, the Niobe room and its beautiful sculptures have been returned to their former glory. "A Theatre for Niobe" is a superbly illustrated volume that tells the remarkable story of the restoration process, along with a number of essays from leading experts in the field of art and architectural conservation.