Paraclisul Patriarhal Sf. Mare Mc. Gheorghe. Intervenții de conservare–retaurare a picturii murale

Abstract

In the heart of Bucharest, on Patriarchate Hill, the Patriarchal Chapel of Saint Great Martyr George stands as one of the most refined ensembles of Brâncovenesc mural art, organically integrated into the Patriarchal Residence and closely linked to the history of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Built beginning in the mid-17th century and completed through its painted decoration in 1723, the chapel preserves an exceptional iconographic program, where Byzantine tradition, Brâncovenesc refinement, and 19th–20th century artistic interventions intertwine.

This publication documents the extensive conservation and restoration campaign carried out based on a project initiated in 2009. Research revealed a complex ensemble formed through successive historical layers: original 18th-century fresco, oil repaints, 20th-century restoration interventions, and later localized additions. In this context, the restoration team aimed to recover visual coherence without removing historically significant layers, maintaining a balance between authenticity and the monument’s historical evolution.

The interventions focused on stabilizing the support, cleaning surface deposits, consolidating fragile areas, and integrating losses chromatically, with particular attention given to the votive painting of the Mavrocordat family, one of the most spectacular compositions of the ensemble. Here, the historical stratification of the painting—from the original fresco to oil repainting—required differentiated solutions designed to preserve both the artistic and documentary value of each layer.

The restoration brought to light previously obscured iconographic details, inscriptions, and original elements affected by repainting and degradation, including the signature of the painter Teodosie and the dating of the mural to 1723. Through this intervention, the chapel reaffirms its status as a landmark of Brâncovenesc art, offering a reunited image of a mural ensemble of remarkable coherence, refinement, and symbolic density.