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How to Uncover Your Church's Original Beauty with a Historic Paint Study
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How to Uncover Your Church’s Original Beauty with a Historic Paint Study

“So we are bound to beautify them with all the ornaments we possibly can…”

-A. Palladio, Architect

In any building, decoration is used to enhance and magnify the architecture which together serve the structure’s purpose. Theatres are grand and elaborate, residential buildings are simple and pleasing, civil buildings are sturdy and dignified– all are built and decorated according to their purpose. In the same way churches are built and decorated to serve their purpose, that is, to elevate hearts and minds to contemplate divine things. What better way to accomplish this than through beauty? Beautifying churches, therefore, is a noble task, whether it be through restoration, reparation, or new design.

Most churches built before 1950 were elaborately and beautifully decorated in harmony with the architecture employed. Since then, however, design schemes and colors have been painted over with grays, whites, beiges, and other muted tones. If your church was built before the 1950’s and its interior is a solid, plain color, there are probably decorative paint schemes under the whitewash, just waiting to be revealed.

Historic Paint Study

How do you know if your church has a hidden design scheme? A historic paint study will help determine that. In a historic paint study, a number of methods are used to discover a church’s significant paint and design scheme– mechanical and chemical investigations will reveal hidden layers, scientific analysis will define original colors, and historical research of original documents will help confirm patterns that have been revealed.

Process

The process of discovering and replicating a historic paint design scheme can be completed in four rudimentary steps.

1) Archival Research

Archival research consists of investigating anything that will help determine the history of the church- how it was originally constructed and how it looked. This may consist of reviewing old news articles, photographs, bulletins, original work specifications of architectural features and design, and orchestrating interviews with eye-witnesses. This will help immensely in understanding the historical context of the paint.

2) Onsite Exposures & Samples

Next, paint exposures and samples are taken on-site from areas determined by the information retrieved through archival research. Paint exposures are performed using mechanical or chemical means to remove the top layer of paint or finish in order to reveal what is underneath. Paint samples are taken using a sharp blade that cuts a section of the paint layers and substrate from the church interior to bring to the lab for analysis. Sometimes a low power microscope is brought onsite to determine which samples are best to bring to the lab.

Paint Exposures at Saint Mary’s Church New Haven

3) Laboratory Analysis

After the samples have been collected, they are brought to the lab where they may undergo a number of operations.

Microscopy

With Microscopy, samples may be viewed under a microscope where each layer of paint is magnified and examined. A plethora of information relating to the makeup of the paints is obtained through this procedure which is necessary to move forward in a church’s historic paint study. Without attention to detail and the ability to deduce historic subtleties, the intention to restore historical integrity may never be achieved.

Reflected Light

The method of reflecting natural light onto the paint samples is very helpful in color matching. The conservator uses a system called the Munsell Color System which spans all color hues, saturations, and values in order to choose the exact color to match the sample. The Munsell Color System provides a three-dimensional space used to view and describe color based on how humans perceive color.

Ultraviolet Light

Ultraviolet light is perfect for identifying varnishes and staining used between the paint layers, layers which are invisible to reflected light.

Microscopy of paint sample

Microscopy of paint sample

4) Interpretation and Report

The last step in a historic paint study for a church interior is the interpretation of the information received and a concluding report. The report is a detailed summary of all the information obtained throughout the process, including the precondition report, treatment report, and final report. Such information includes the number of paint layers, the exact color match of each layer both on the Munsell Scale and a commercial color, and the date, time, and location of each sample extracted and examined. Other important information to include is the original substrate, the most significant paint campaign, and the earliest date of the original decoration. Since this information is not easily obtained, prudent interpretation by an expert is required for the success of the investigation. Lastly, the report should also include recommended next steps for going forward in the project.

Thus, a historic paint study will not fail to uncover the original, magnificent beauty of any church, bringing new life and vibrancy to the community and strengthening the faith of the congregation by understanding the original methods of decorative paint execution.

Canning C

April 12, 2023

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John Canning & Co. Resources

As a conservation studio and restoration contractor, our team of highly skilled craftsmen, artisans, and conservators are experienced in the use of traditional methods and materials. We understand the importance in sharing our expertise and knowledge in our field.

Check Out Our Historic Paint Investigations Guide