The Entrance Hall of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge: A Conservation Approach to Nineteenth-Century Architectural Polychromy

Abstract

The elaborate scheme of polychrome decoration in the Entrance Hall of the Fitzwilliam Museum was designed by the architect Edward Barry. It incorporates both architectural and figurative elements in stone and plaster, enriched with ornate polychromy and gilding.A detailed technical survey showed that, unlike many similar decorative schemes of the late nineteenth century, which have been extensively restored, the Entrance Hall decoration was almost entirely original. Although a significant layer of disfiguring dirt had accumulated on the surface, both the paint layer and substrate were found to be in relatively good condition. Tests indicated that the damaged paint layer could be successfully stabilized and the dirt layer reduced, resulting in a dramatic improvement in both the stability and the appearance of the decoration.A programme of treatment was therefore undertaken, whose aims were to conserve and clean the decorative scheme, in conjunction with a detailed study of the original materials and construction techniques. It was also seen as an opportunity to establish a precedent for the treatment of similar schemes, which are frequently treated in a manner that would be regarded as unacceptable for any other work of decorative art.