Valentina Lupo, director and restorer of Atelier del Restauro Ltd, explains to Ronald Cassar the meticulous restoration process being conducted on the Christ the Redeemer statue in Senglea.

The extensive restoration work on the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Senglea is a delicate, nine-month process which involves a lot of research and scientific study, according to Valentina Lupo, one of the restorers.

“The conservation process is a complicated one, so we have to be very careful and work meticulously on the statue. Also, the strong devotion of the Maltese towards the Senglea Redeemer exerts more pressure on us to ensure that we do a perfect job,” says Ms Lupo.

Christ the Redeemer is believed to be more than 300-years-old and is one of the most revered statues in Malta, with thousands of pilgrims visiting the oratory regularly to show their devotion towards the Redeemer, which many people believe to be a miraculous statue.

It was in September of 2014 that Atelier del Restauro Ltd, a joint venture between Maltese and Italian conservators who specialise in the conservation of works of art, was commissioned to carry out a study on the state of the Redeemer statue, conserved in the Oratory of the Holy Cross, which is annexed to the Basilica of Our Lady of Victories in Senglea.

Christ the Redeemer is one of the most revered statues in Malta and attracts huge crowds to the Senglea oratory where it is held.

“The ageing of the statue, several past restorations and use of the statue during the three yearly processions, in March, on Good Friday and in June (plus several other pilgrimages around Malta and Gozo), have with time contributed to a deterioration of the sculpture,” she points out.

The investigations related to the interior structure carried out by Atelier del Restauro and Heritage Malta’s Diagnostic Science Laboratories concluded that the beam structure (anima) supporting the figure seems to be steady.

There seems to be no evidence of major recess.

The papier-mâché support of the head, hair, chest and feet was found to be weak in some areas, especially over the head and hair.

“The Redeemer statue has und-ergone numerous aesthetic interventions in the past. Primarily, the tunic has been overpainted more than once.

“The stratigraphic tests provided indications of the material composition of original and non-original materials of both the preparatory and pictorial layers of the statue.

The strong devotion of the Maltese towards the Senglea Redeemer exerts more pressure on us to ensure that we do a perfect job

“Several cracks and detachments of the painted layers were present. Cracks were mainly observed along the posterior of the figure over the red tunic and over the skin tones, especially on the nose, where an important crack is visible.

“Dust was also present in several parts, especially with accumulations inside the folds of drapery and over the base.”

Dust attracts water and holds it against the surface of the object, contributing to staining, corrosion and biological growth with time. Where accumulations of dust were present, thick, dark (almost black) circular stains were visible, explains Ms Lupo.

The study ended in September 2015 and helped identify the material which was used, the original technical details of the manufacturing, past restorative works and the present condition.

Valentina Lupo explaining to visitors the process of conservation and restoration during an open weekend held last week.

Atelier del Restauro’s team, directed by Maria Grazia Zenzani and Ms Lupo, began the challenging conservation project in May.

Prior to the start of the conservation work, the statue was documented through photography and graphical mapping. Further scientific analysis was also carried out.

The conservation process consisted in a series of operations carried out by fully qualified conservators and restorers. An envi-ronmental monitoring campaign is currently being carried out inside the niche to gauge relative humidity and temperature in order to assess whether the climate inside the niche is appropriate for the conservation of the statue.

Last weekend, the public was invited to witness first-hand the work which is being carried out on the statue. This was done because, according to Ms Lupo, the Maltese public must be part of this conservation process.

“We feel we had to explain to the people what is going on, and how the work is progressing on possibly the most revered statue in Malta.

“There were two types of people who accepted this invitation: those who have a deep devotion towards the Redeemer and who have already contributed financially towards the restoration.

“Then there were the curious type, who came, watched and asked questions about the conservation process and to know more about the important history of the statue and how it was made.”

Atelier del Restauro is expecting to complete the conservation by the end of February 2018.

Donations are still being accepted to help cover the cost of the conservation work.

Those who wish to donate can contact the Archpriest of Senglea, Fr Robin Camilleri.

Restorer Valentina Lupo meticulously working on the top part of the statue.