Organisers: Ministry of Culture, Cults and Heritage of Romania (MCCPN)

http://www.cultura.ro


Between 14^th and 16^th of October 2009, the Ministry of Culture, Cults and Heritage of Romania (MCCPN) organised the third edition of the “Conservation-Restoration Workshop for the Artistic Components of Historic Monuments”. On this occasion, besides the information presented in the Multimedia Room of the Ministry, the organisers offered attendees the possibility to find out in situ the problems that three monuments from Bucharest and its vicinity are confronted with. The organisation of this series of meetings would not have been possible without the sustained effort of conservator Oana Gorea, consultant at MCCPN.

The meeting successfully gathered and offered those present a diverse range of useful information to the conservation-restoration of cultural heritage. In this respect, several facets of the field were comprised, such as finalised projects or undergoing conservation works – each with its own aspects and difficulties (on conservation of mural painting, stone, wood and stained glass)¹, the importance and the advantages of using the laser in conservation of art works, aspects related to documentation, research and examination of some materials used in conservation treatments; issues and solutions for historic monuments heating, a.s.o. It was pointed out on this occasion – by concrete examples – that a correct treatment of a monument or a work of art requires necessary and indispensable information which can only be acquired by interdisciplinary cooperation during intervention for the correct identification of degradation sources and of the presence and the types of biologic agents, for the identification of previous interventions or of the quality of materials used.

Another highlighted aspect was the unaltered conservation of the original, by respecting the professional principles adopted at international level, for restricting the aesthetic presentation level as close as possible to an archaeological level so that it does not alter or misrepresent the original image in any way.

In the same time it was insisted upon the correct use of the terms “to restore” and “to remake”, “to reconstitute” or “to reconstruct”, according to the different significance that each one has.

Among the presentations that drew attention by the issues raised and the professionalism of the approach was that of a project based on the cooperation between conservators, researchers, biologists and petrographers - Interdisciplinary Researches made at the cave church Corbii de Piatră (Stone Ravens) from Argeş county (Romania), by Prof. Ioana Gomoiu, PhD, Prof. Dan Mohanu, PhD, Prof. Marin Secleman, PhD, Ileana Mohanu, PhD, Anca Luca, PhD and Sorin Birzoi. The church was built in the first half of the 14^th century in sandstone and communicates with the exterior by the entrance door of the narthex and the two windows in the nave. Presently, the monument is in the stage of research prior to the conservation process, of monitoring the microclimate parameters and of assessing the conservation state and the degradation causes and sources. The interior a fresco painting was lost in a large proportion on the northern wall (which is towards the interior of the rock) and is altered by a series of deposits and accumulations of different origins in the rest of the church. The main degradation factor is humidity², condensation running-off the painting but also at the level of windows and floor. Among the degradations of the painting can be recalled fissures and detachments of the support, gaps, efflorescences, organic and inorganic deposits, colonization processes due to the biologic activity of photoautotroph or heterotroph micro-organisms, etc. The church is a valuable monument by its age, beauty and rarity where it must be acted by the removal of the degradation sources in order to achieve the preservation of the murals and of the entire ensemble.

Another presentation, this time with the purpose of a call for awareness, was “Types of degradations of the panel ceilings in Transylvania”, of conservator Mihaly Ferenc. The panel ceilings, painted on wooden support in tempera technique, are specific to protestant and catholic churches in this part of Romania. According to the data presented by the author there are only few examples preserved from the 16^th to the 20^th century. Mr. Ferenc presented the audience with examples for specific degradations and their causes, as well as a few conserved works.

The presentation of Mrs. Livia Bucşa, Ph.D., called attention by focussing on the biological contamination problems of some monuments with wall painting and the importance of “cooperation between specialists in the fields of chemistry, biology and physics with conservators in order to establish a correct diagnosis and to avoid the confusion between the nature of deposits and accumulations existing on the painted area”. To this regard, she presented two different situations: first, when a physical-chemical degradation is interpreted and treated as biological and second, when a biological degradation is considered a simple deposit of dust or smoke and treated as such.

On the same note, that of the benefits of interdisciplinary cooperation within conservation projects, followed the presentations of scientists from INOE, the National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics (Roxana Rădvan, Dragoş Ene, Laurenţiu Angleluţă, Monica Simileanu and Cătălin Bălan), regarding the use of non-destructive methods of analysis and intervention in conservation of works of art, such as LIBS and LIF among others.

Constructive discussions followed after the presentations of conservators Katarzyna Górecka and Prof. Marcin Kozarzewski from Warsaw University, that outlined the importance of monuments, even if reconstructed, for the preservation of the national identity. The Polish restorers spoke about remaking and reconstruction of the historic centre of Warsaw after the destruction during the Second World War. The authors insisted on two concrete cases - the Brochow church and the Rosary wooden church - and spoke about the solutions found for the conservation-restoration of the original elements and the remaking of the missing ones in order to recover the unity of the monuments.

Image 1. View of the conference from the Multimedia Room of the Ministry.
Images 2 and 3. Mural painting from the church of Saint Nicholas in Stoeneşti village, Giurgiu county.
Image 4. Image from Potlogi church (1683), where the mural painting was hammered in order to increase the adhesion of a new layer.

In the second part of the event, that is the third day in the programme, a visit to some monuments in Bucharest and its surroundings was scheduled in order to draw attention on some aspects and concerns related to the undergoing conservation projects.

The visit started at Mântuleasa Church in Bucharest, a monument in a complex conservation-restoration process since October 2007, coordinated by Simona Pătraşcu, mural painting conservator. This site has already been presented in the 4th issue of this magazine, but we shall notify that even if the work is not finalised, the site was closed for the time being, out of lack of funds. This is how, a representative monument for the Brâncovenesc art, located in the centre of the capital, continues to deteriorate inevitably.

The next visited monument was the 18^th century church of Saint Nicholas, located in Stoeneşti village, Giurgiu county. The monument presents structural degradation, has lost its vaults and suffered several interventions on architectural elements and artistic components. The church is operational - the liturgy can still be conducted - but its original aspect is altered by a temporary flat ceiling, a roof that modifies the proportions of the monument and by layers of deposits, accumulations and repaintings that affect the reading of the mural painting and iconostasis image. It is clear that the monument needs complex conservation-restoration interventions at the level of all components.

Another monument the group visited was the Potlogi church (1683), where another situation is faced. The church was submitted in time to complex interventions, out of which only a few had the role of conserving the artistic components. This is why the original mural painting is only preserved in the narthex, and unfortunately this was also altered irreversibly by repaintings. At present these were already removed, however in the past the surface of the painting was thoroughly hammered in order to increase the adhesion of a new layer. Therefore, there are areas where the representations can hardly be identified. The main challenge for its conservation-restoration is the aesthetic presentation of the gaps of the support layer. Due to the particularity of this case, Irina Sava, the conservator who coordinates the work will establish the aesthetic treatment methodology together with a commission approved by the Ministry of Culture, Cults and Heritage of Romania.

Given the diversity of the presentations and the interesting issues brought into discussion, the third “Conservation-Restoration Workshop for the Artistic Components of Historic Monuments” has made an important contribution on national level, growing the awareness of specific problems in the conservation-restoration practice. This brief presentation was encouraged by the initiative of the organisers, which we hope will continue in 2010.


Notes

¹ Among the presented conservation projects can be mentioned: Elena Murariu - “Interdisciplinary conservation problems at Vioreşti”; Daniel Codrescu - “A worksite of mural painting conservation at Predeal Monastery, county of Braşov”; Kiss Lorand – “Medieval mural painting conservation in two evangelic churches from Sibiu”; Nagy Banjámin – “Degradation causes and preservation interventions – restoration of artistic components in carved stone at Palace Bánffy, Cluj Napoca”; Marin Coteţiu – “Conservation aspects of a mural painting ensamble from different ages. Case study: the porch of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest”; Penyacseck Ştefan – “The conservation of stained glass in the Loupoigne church, Belgium”; Anca Nicolaescu and Dragoş Ene – “Documentation and conservation of the mural paintings from Red Maitreya temple, Ladak, India”; Pal Peter – “Stratigraphic researches and conservation of mural paintings in Dârjiu Unitarian Church and Daia Reformed Church, Harghita county”.

² Measurements showed values over 95% RH.

About the author

Anca Dinã 

Conservator-restorer
Contact: anca@zappmobile.ro

 

 

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