A 13th-century mural of Christ in the St Nicholas Church in Ghent is undergoing a thorough restoration. The painting depicts Christ on a throne, surrounded by kneeling figures. The work was discovered by chance in the late 1990s, by which time it was already in a poor state of repair.
13th-century Christ mural in Ghent’s St Nicholas Church to undergo extensive restoration
Colin Clapson
Published:
The mural came to light in 1998 when the Baroque altar of the Chapel of the Sweet Name of Jesus in the lower church was dismantled. Christ suddenly appeared on a throne, surrounded by kneeling figures. The mural was in a pitiful state.
“The condition of the mural was a cause for concern,” city authorities say. “The underlying layers of plaster were crumbling and showed cracks. That is why, immediately after its discovery, the work was given a protective layer of Japanese paper.”
Some of the Japanese paper has already been removed for preliminary investigations. The restorers will remove all the paper in the spring. In doing so, there is a chance that further parts of the work will come to light. The actual restoration is scheduled for the spring of 2027.
Organ restoration too
Bressers Architecten is overseeing the restoration of the mural in the St Nicholas Church. Further restoration work in the church in the centre of city is planned over the coming years. The 19th-century organ, built by the French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, is also due for a refurbishment.
The instrument dates from the 19th century and has not been played for 60 years. The Flemish Government has earmarked around 1.94 million euros for the restoration work, alongside restoration work at St James’s Church in Ghent.