Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria – Cienin Kościelny

RENOVATION OF THE MUSIC GALLERY IN THE CHURCH OF ST. CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA IN CIENIN KOŚCIELNY

The music gallery in the church of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Cienin Kościelny was designed in the form of a mezzanine supported by columns. It has a full balustrade decorated with rectangular panels in a profiled frame. The main, integral part of the gallery is an organ front with the instrument. The construction of those objects of historical value was made of pine wood, and the details – of lime wood, in the second half of the 19th century.

STATE OF PRESERVATION

Preservation state of the choir and the organ front was bad with many layers of overpaint, and wood integrity was seriously damaged by insects. The fragments of the construction were cracked in some places due to wood drying, and the paint and the primer were wiped after many years of use.

AIM OF RENOVATION

The main purpose of the renovation is to prevent the object from gradual damage, caused first and foremost by xylophages, by the means of sterilization, as well as to reinforce and protect the wooden construction. On the account of the fact that this is a place of worship, all of its aesthetic value should be restored.

COURSE OF RENOVATION

Renovation works of the music gallery were done in situ, and the renovation of the organ front took place partly on the spot, and partly in a workshop. Before the renovation, the objects were photographed and carefully examined, and then the movable parts were disassembled. Stratigraphic examination was also conducted in order to discover the original technique and colour of the objects. After the first cleaning which removed dirt and dust, sterilization processes were performed. The next step was the removal of unoriginal layers of paint and gilding with chemical and mechanical methods. Then the wooden elements were reinforced with resin solution by the means of jet grouting, swabbing or capillary rise. When the solvent vaporized, the missing elements of the wood carving of the gallery and the organ front constructions were filled with plugs, and smaller cavities with epoxy putty. Severely damaged parts were reconstructed. Matt gilding was recreated with the use of mixtion. Paintings were renovated on the basis of preserved fragments of the original polychromy.