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September 11

Art restoration

If a fresco has been plastered over some years later in order to obliterate it, is it possible to remove the plaster to reveal the fresco without damaging it in the process? How about a mosaic -- would it be possible to remove the plaster without damaging it? (I expect that it would be easier in the case of the mosaic, because the interface boundary is much sharper -- is that true)? If so, how exactly would one go about doing it? 2601:646:8A81:6070:9956:C579:BF67:55DB (talk) 03:02, 11 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, according to the Insider article "How a 583-year-old Italian mural is professionally restored": "The next step is now to remove the plasters that had been painted over the fresco in the last few centuries. And to do that, Marco, the restorer, needs to get [an] archeological scalpel and remove every single bit and pieces [sic] out of this huge surface." Clarityfiend (talk) 04:24, 11 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Something akin to this has happened in many English churches and Cathedrals. Medieval murals were whitewashed out or plastered over by the iconoclasts during the reformation and the Puritan era. Some of these have been recovered and are now visible, however they may then start to fade. Martin of Sheffield (talk) 11:08, 11 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! 2601:646:8A81:6070:D8BF:A848:6B19:9108 (talk) 03:51, 12 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

As one example amongst many, there is a rather fine mural in Dartford Holy Trinity parish church. The mural dates from quite late, possibly the reign of Henry VII, and was whitewashed at the Reformation. It was rediscovered in the 19thC and is now resplendent in its original setting. Photo here, interpretation and reconstructed original colours and finally archaeological description of the church. Oops, sorry – I forgot the signature Martin of Sheffield (talk) 14:12, 12 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

As for mosaics, many of the mosaics in the Hagia Sophia were covered up when it was converted to a mosque, and some have been restored at different points as mentioned in the article. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 09:07, 16 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]