|
|
Oratory oil paintings to be
restored
25.03.10
by Linda McGrory
BUNCRANA'S parish priest is asking parishioners to
sponsor the €10,000 restoration of 19th Century
Italian paintings representing the stations of the
cross in St Mary's Oratory.
Fr John Walsh is seeking individuals, groups or
businesses to pay €795 each for the conservation of
fourteen classical works by the 19th Century Italian
artist A. Mariani.
The restoration of the paintings in the Oratory, is
to be carried out in Dublin after Easter by fine art
conservator Ciara Brennan. |
Fr Walsh said the
conservation work was needed due to the damage
caused by damp over the past 114 years.
"The paintings have started to perish at the edges
because they are very close to the external wall and
have suffered the effects of damp over the years,"
said Fr Walsh.
"Many people like to do the stations during Lent so
we decided to leave the conservation project until
after Easter," he added.
Not much is known about A. Mariani who was from the
town of Velletri, 50 miles south of Rome. |
 |
|
He is understood to
have lived at Mill Brae, Buncrana, between 1894 and
1896 while working on the paintings. The works were
commissioned during the post-Famine church building
programme in the diocese and throughout Ireland,
said Fr Walsh. |
 |
Six of the
oil-on-canvas works depicting the Passion of Christ,
have already been sponsored by individual
parishioners or groups in Buncrana. The entire
conservation project will cost over €10,000
including VAT while it is expected the work will
take several months.
Ms Brennan, who has already restored the large
painting of the Nativity in St Mary's, Cockhill,
will shortly advise on how the fourteen canvases |
will be transported to
Dublin.
"Some of the paintings are in a worse condition than
others but all of them will require work," she said.
"The canvases, being organic, have expanded and
contracted over the years but the paint has not.
This has led to the paint layer lifting or flaking
and leading to areas of paint loss." Ms Brennan, who
has restored works by Jack B Yeats, said the
restoration will include consolidation with a glue
treatment to prevent further paint loss, cleaning
and the application of weather-proof backing on all
the paintings. Potential sponsors can contact the
parish office on 93 61253. |
|
