Narthex Lunettes (2019)

Originally painted in 1901 by Almini Company, the murals have been compromised by a heavy layer of dirt and grime with decades of airborne pollutants from fossil fuel heating, candles and other airborne accretions. The conservation process consisted of a re-cohesion of the “paint” and/or pigment to the existing plaster, as well as a re-cohesion of the plaster to itself is the aim of this consolidation. Cleaning consisted of the removal of all unoriginal products, dirt, varnish, paints, fills, and/or previous restorations. Holes, gouges, scratches and other losses were compensated with gesso. After these procedures, the murals were varnished. Areas of previous paint loss was color matched and in-painted.  The entire painted surface reads homogeneously and was brought back to its best state-of-conservation.