St. John's Seminary
The work at St. John’s Seminary illustrates EverGreene’s approach to conserving historic decorative painting, murals and stained glass, combined with the studio’s artistic skills in replicating areas that were lost. The original trompe l’oeil distemper painting scheme, which has never been overpainted, is a rare example and very important to preserve.
Water damage to plaster had resulted in loss of areas of decorative painting and murals. EverGreene artisans repaired and patched the plaster. Artists painted the gilded grisaille portraits of doctors of the church in the chancel, which they recreated based on archival photographs.
Conservation technicians carefully removed surface dirt from the distemper paint and fresco secco figurative murals featuring saints. Unstable paint and substrate were consolidated, and lost stenciled detail was inpainted. Stained glass windows were gently cleaned.
