Restoration of the tombstone of Arnošt (Ernest) of Pardubice, located in the parish Church of the Assumption, Kłodzko, Poland, has been carried out by the Faculty of Restoration of the University of Pardubice since last year. Now, the work on the unique piece of Gothic sculpture, one of few to survive to this day in such a condition, is over and the restored tombstone awaits a ceremonial revelation. On October 27, not only restaurateurs, but also many important guests attended it in Poland.
Arnošt of Pardubice was the first Archbishop of Prague and a prominent counsellor and diplomat to Emperor Charles IV. He is buried in Kłodzko and his tombstone is an extraordinary example of the 14th-century Gothic sculptural art. Most of the authors associate the artwork with the Prague-based Parler's workshop. The tombstone is made of marlite and is set on a marble tomb.
The team was led by restorer Jakub Ďoubal of the Faculty of Restoration
"In terms of restoration, this was a very interesting project. It was necessary to deal sensitively with the torso nature of the preserved sculpture and, to the maximum extent, to preserve the authenticity of this remarkable monument. The Faculty of Restoration is very proud to have been able to take part in the preservation of this extraordinary Gothic sculpture document, as part of an international collaboration that made the project unique. A foreign entity was also invited by the Polish side to participate in repairs," adds Mgr. art. Jakub Ďoubal, Head of the Studio of Restoration and Conservation of Stone of the Faculty of Restoration, the University of Pardubice, who carried out and at the same time led the restoration work in collaboration with colleagues from his Studio of Restoration and Conservation of Stone, MgA. Petra Zítková and MgA. Petr Rejman. Some of the restoration activities were also performed by students from this atelier. Research was also conducted by Ing. Karol Bayer of the Department of Chemical Technology, the Faculty of Restoration, former Dean of the Faculty of Restoration.
The tomb was insensitively shortened
"The condition of the tombstone and tomb was rather unsatisfactory before the restoration. The tombstone was severely damaged in the past several times as a result of the Hussite raids and a fire that broke out in the Church, reducing it to a torso. In the past, there was a significant loss of the shape; the entire lower part where the lion with the Archbishop's coat of arms had originally been placed was missing. The facial part was damaged, the hands and large parts of the drapery were missing. During the reconstruction of the Church at the end of the 19th century, the whole tomb was dismantled and moved from its original place in the centre of the Church to the wall between benches, where the stone, especially marble, further eroded due to moisture from the Church wall. This move and subsequent assembling was done rather insensitively, the tomb was shortened by about 40 cm and parts of the cover plate dislocated. Parts of the broken figure were inaccurately arranged onto the plate and glued to cement mortar," Jakub Ďoubal describes the state of the tomb prior to the commencement of the restoration.
The research began in 2016
The damage and unprofessional repairs impaired the visual perception of this monument and there was a risk of further damage and loss. The figural part was broken into several pieces and the fragments were loosely spread out on the tomb, which in the past led to the loss of a number of valuable parts of the sculpture.
The Faculty of Restoration, the University of Pardubice, carried out a detailed survey, analyzed and secured fragments of the figural part of the tombstone. Large separate parts were cleaned of dirt, dust deposits and cement mortar, and the parts were glued together. To remove dirt from the fractured areas, contactless laser cleaning was performed, without any loss of the soft stone, which consequently allowed them to glue the separated parts precisely.
The tomb was assembled in a new position
The project continued with the restoration of the marble tombstone. The tomb had to be completely disassembled and reassembled in a new, more representative position. After examining the preserved pieces of the top plate, it was possible to determine exactly the original size of the tomb and it was decided that it would be assembled in the original size. The missing parts were to be filled with a neutral sealant so that it was obvious that they were added later and, at the same time, the overall architectural framework of the tomb was completed. All measures, both on the tomb and on the figural part, were guided by the utmost effort to preserve the authenticity of the extremely valuable Gothic work of art and the interventions in the appearance were kept to a minimum. The torso character, which was the result of the turbulent history of the tombstone, the church, and indeed of the whole of Kłodzko, was respected.
The ceremonial unveiling of the restored tombstone took place on Friday in October 2017 in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Kłodzko in the presence of prominent personalities of the Czech and Polish political and cultural representations. The ceremony was accompanied by a presentation of the preservation work.
Faculty of Restoration
Studio of Restoration and Conservation of Stone
Jiráskova 3, 570 01 Litomyšl
Phone 603 109 211
E-mail jakub.doubal@upce.cz
The University of Pardubice
Mgr. art. Jakub Ďoubal, Ph.D
Head of the studio
