Church of the Transfiguration

Years of touch-ups and minor repairs with distemper paints had damaged much of the decorative artwork in the Marian Chapel at the Church of the Transfiguration, commonly called “Little Church Around the Corner.” Paint was delaminated and had begun to crack and flake. EverGreene conservators conducted a historic finishes investigation to document the chapel’s conditions and create exposure windows to reveal original artwork beneath the existing decoration.

Artists removed flaking paint, cleaned the walls and replicated historic artwork uncovered on the window surround borders and arch soffit. The original diaper pattern on the lower wall was also replicated directly into the chapel. Craftsmen cleaned the Mary statue and implemented a new lighting scheme, spotlighting the statue and its intricate tracery. The light blue background was replaced with a rich midnight blue, dotted with gold stars to evoke the celestial night sky