Fiona Vella follows the meticulous process involved in the restoration and conservation of two sets of antique religious statues that will soon be on display at Heritage Malta’s new museum of art, MUŻA.

“You should have seen the miserable state of these artworks when they were brought in for conservation and restoration,” said senior conservator Anthony Spagnol as he uncovered two sets of antique wooden religious statues which are waiting to be relocated to Heritage Malta’s new museum of art, MUŻA.

A conservator working on one of the sets of wooden religious statues.

One pair of these museum pieces represents the baptism of Jesus through the figures of St John the Baptist and Christ. Their elaborate design boasts the refined exuberant baroque style of the second half of the 17th century.

The other pair, which date to an earlier 17th century period, consist of sizeable figures of Our Lady and St Joseph. It is almost certain that these statues were part of a group of highly decorated statuary representing the Nativity of Jesus.

“These two sets are excellent examples of two different approaches to conservation and restoration. While the baptism pair have been totally reintegrated, the other pair have missing parts and they clearly show the traumatic damage which they suffered,” continued Spagnol.

Indeed, whereas one set looked complete and flawless, the other had evident signs of severe insect disturbance.

A conservator cannot replace the artist who made the original artwork by trying to create what is not there

“Both these sets form part of the national collection previously at the National Museum of Fine Arts. Both were intensely attacked by wood-boring insects, a long time ago. Recent X-ray investigations of the baptism set confirmed that the insect damage ran right through the two statues,” Spagnol said.

“The same devastation was obvious in the other pair. However, while the outer shell of the baptism statues survived, the other couple had experienced extensive losses, including both hands of Our Lady, two fingers of St Joseph and a considerable part from the bottom of the artwork.”

This necessitated a tailor-made approach for each set. Although it was apparent that there was no further live insect infestation, both sets underwent anoxia treatment, through which insects are eradicated by deprivation of oxygen instead of using dangerous chemicals.

“It is imperative to take these precautions before allowing such artworks into our laboratory to avoid the possibility of a new infestation on other pieces,” pointed out Spagnol.

Discussions ensued between the conservators and the curator who will eventually exhibit these artworks in the museum.

Conserving the baptism set

 “It is the curator’s prerogative to select the artefacts which will be displayed in the museum. It is also in his responsibility to decide upon the level of conservation and restoration which is required, as long as this goes along with modern conservation ethics. In this case, after proper investigations by the conservators, it was agreed that the baptism set will be fully reintegrated, whereas the other set will have only minor reconstructions.”

A comprehensive report about the history of the manufacturing technique, the study of any past interventions and the present state of conservation of the two artworks was issued by the conservators to document this process. Eventually, this report will lead to the conservators’ recommendations for the adequate treatments.

“It is of utmost importance that only the necessary interventions are made. Otherwise, the process will be considered inappropriate and invasive. Professional conservation and restoration do not involve attempts to return the artwork to its original state. That is renovation and is usually only practised by amateurs,” said Spagnol.

The conservator further explained that upon investigation of the damage on the baptism set, it was clear that the potential unity of the statues could be retrieved, since the outer damage could be mitigated without risking falsifying the original. Therefore, measures were taken to consolidate the statues’ structures while maintaining complete respect for the original material, even in places which were not visible.

 “Although the structure of the other pair was consolidated and strengthened, the conservators’ interventions were limited,” he said. “A conservator cannot replace the artist who made the original artwork by trying to create what is not there. One cannot try to invent because that is unethical and seriously invasive on the original composition of the statue. Even if there is available documentation which shows how the original statue was, a new pair of hands for the statue of Our Lady in this case, would be considered invasive.”

Nonetheless, all depends on the context of where these statues will be exhibited. Spagnol explained: “Let’s imagine that this pair of religious statues was originally in a church’s niche and people were devoted to them. In that case, one cannot reintroduce a pair of statues with missing parts because they will interfere with the perception of the devoted. This might sound frivolous but when people really believe that a statue of a saint might intervene on their behalf, especially with regards to serious health conditions, for them, the image becomes real and in it they find something to sustain them. So in such a situation, a conservator would recommend the introduction of a new pair of statues.

“In rare cases, where the statue has also miraculous connotations, such a recommendation is not easy to put forward. Considering this scenario, a compromise has to be found, as the beliefs and traditions of the people cannot be ignored.

 “On the other hand, in this situation where we are dealing with significant artworks which will form part of a museum’s display, the missing parts of the statues will relate the narrative of their history. Even in this incomplete state, their value will not diminish, and they will still radiate their artistic merit.”

Visitors will soon be able to explore these artworks and many others at MUŻA. This conservation and restoration project was carried out by Heritage Malta’s Paintings and Polychromes Sculptures Conservation Lab and it was entrusted to conservator Sara Mattioli, under the supervision of Anthony Spagnol. Other conservators from this section collaborated in this project.

Fiona Vella is executive, marketing and communications, for Heritage Malta.