A Newly Conserved Plafond Painting En riches the Old Town of Tallinn

Abstract

An exquisite panel muralceiling painting was conserved and restored in the Old Town of Tallinn at the Rahukohtu 5 building on the Patkul viewing platform after more than a decade of exposition to unsatisfactory environmental conditions. This article provides a brief overview of the estate history and its owners, placing the conserved mural within the historical context of ceiling panelling in Tallinn, and addresses the issues of simultaneous exhibition of diverse historical strata and theconception of conserving both the mural and its surrounding space.CV – Hilkka Hi iopHilkka Hiiop (PhD) is the head of Conservation Departement in Art Museum of Estonia as well as being responsible for contemporary art conservation in Kumu Art Museum. She is also assistant professor and coordinator of the artefact conservation branch at the Estonian Academy of Art, Departement of Conservation. She has worked as a conservator of mural paintings in Rome 2003–2009, supervised a number of conservation and technical investigation projects in Estonia, curated exhibitions, and made scientific research on topic of conservation and technical art history. Hiiop’s PhD theses (2012) treated the conservation management of contemporary art.CV – Eva TammekiviEva Tammekivi is a graduate student at the Estonian Academy of Arts, Department of Cultural Heritage and Conservation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2012 with the thesis titled An Altarpiece Found in the Attic Makes Its Way to the Church: Survey and Conservation of the Altarpiece ‚Lord help me!‘ She has contributed to several studies of interior decoration and has also taken part in conservation and restoration projects including an eighteenth century painted board ceiling in the Old Town of Tallinn, Johann Köler’s altarpiece in St Charles Church in Tallinn, and lunette paintings in the Great Guild Hall of Tallinn.