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Humor Monastery Church Conservation |
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NEWS > 2007 Summer Worksites3829
The Conservation of the Mural Paintings from the Assumption Church
Humor Monastery, Romania (1535)
by Teodora Poiata and Rui Bordalo
Worksite supervision: Maria Dumbrăvician
Period: July - 31 October
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Among many onsite conservation projects active in Romania, we stop in one which we consider worthy to mention due to its complexity and history. The Church of Humor Monastery, located in Moldavia, northern part of Romania, is a centre of interest for art historian, scientists and restorers. It is one of the places with still alive traditions, included by UNESCO on the list of the World Heritage because of its unique exterior murals.
For three weeks, we were working on the conservation of this monument together with a remarkable team, sharing and gathering valuable experience.
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Built in 1530, the church was
decorated in the exterior with frescos 5 years later by Toma Zugravul.
Today these frescoes are considered masterpieces of the Byzantine art.
By their complex and unique iconography, they awake the interest of the
national and international conservation community. Back in 1963, the
church was the object of the first “pilot” conservation worksite from
Romania, started by Paolo and Laura Mora. This intervention was
followed by an emergency intervention between 1993 and 2000. Today the
worksite continues in the same manner, as a meeting place for
conservator restorers from different parts of the world, specialists
exchanging experiences and students assimilating knowledge.
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The actual worksite has the objective of conserving the interior mural paintings and has started in 2004 under the supervision of the expert-restorer Maria Dumbrăvician. Because of its complexity, the works are expected to end in 2009. At this point, the intervention focuses on the frescoes from the narthex of the church. The main operations performed are cleaning of the colour layer and chromatic integration. The applied methodology is not a regular one, as the painting is affected by biologic attack and by salt incrustations due to humidity action. The colour layer is powdering and presents a high risk of detachment, therefore each operation is performed with the maximum care by the specialists.Another factor which restorers must take under consideration is that the work can only be developed in the summer season as rigorous autumns and cold winters are specific for northern Moldavia.
Text by Teodora Poiata and Rui Bordalo
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