Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Blizanów
RENOVATION OF THE JESUIT ALTAR AND FRANCISCAN ALTAR IN THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IN BLIZANÓW
The Franciscan and Jesuit altars with images of saints from the church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Blizanów are made in the tableau form – a framed panel, painted, with addition of gilding. They were built in the middle of the 18th century, just as other elements of the church’s furnishings.
During previous renovations, the objects had been entirely re-painted. Cracks of the original polychromy were seen. Under the layer of repainting one could notice repairs of the surface, putties, roughness, the frames were covered with unoriginal schlagmetal and repainted with a darkened gold paint. Few insect outlet holes were seen.
The aim of the renovation was restoration of the colours according to the character of the period when they were made and harmonization of the polychromy with the frames. Moreover, the processes of the object’s disintegration had to be prevented, and wood had to be disinfected and sterilized.
Renovation of the altars took several months and was conducted in a few stages. In the first stage, all works connected with the removal of repaint form the altars’ quarters and frames were done. Stage two involved refilling of a large portion of mortar and a retouch of the paint layer.
The works started with tests for the removal of unoriginal repaintings. During the uncoverings, tests were made to remove oil repaintings with soap pastes. Unoriginal layers were removed mechanically with a scalpel and a heater, so that the paint layer softened under the stream of hot air. Chemical method which involved multiple use of soap paste compresses turned out most effective. Softened oil repaintings were removed with a scalpel and cotton wool. Entire objects were cleaned with cotton swabs with ethyl acetate.
Due to a bad technical condition of some wood elements caused by insects, a series of impregnation procedures and carpentry repairs were performed. In the cracks and the spreads at the boards’ edges which ran along their length, wooden plugs were inserted. Weakened wood was impregnated. It took 3 weeks to complete the procedures.
When they finished, and the solvent evaporated, the openings were filled with resin and the losses of the mortar with acrylic mortar. Losses of the paint layer were covered with ketone paints by the use of stippling and retouch methods. The entire objects were covered with a protective varnish. Fillings and reconstruction of the losses in gilding were made in 23 ¾ karat gold leaf. Silvering was made with silver on Armenian bole in colours identical to original. The surface of silvering was protected.
The objects were placed in the church and photographic and descriptive documentation was made.
