April 2018
Work on copies of two of the four Hercules sculptures and their pedestals is well under way. This is the second stage of conservation of the figures.
The appropriate stone, after being extracted from the deposit in Wartowice, was cut for making the copies and transported to the temporary conservation workshop in the courtyard of the former Lanci House on the grounds of the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów. Here, after the initial processing of the blocks, it was possible to position them vertically.
The stone blocks were then processed further. For this purpose, a stone machining tool with diamond cutters cooled by a water jet was used. This multifunctional machine gradually removed the excess raw material. The basis for preparation of the surface and form of the copies at this stage was the 3D model of each of the historic sculptures and pedestals. The process was computer-controlled. It is worth mentioning that the processing of one object, with the work of specialists and equipment for about ten hours a day, takes about three weeks – the processing time depends on the complexity of the form. The work is presently continued by selected artists – sculptors and qualified conservators with extensive experience in copying historic stone sculptures.
For manual final modelling and texture preparation, similar to that of the original sculptures, plaster models of the originals are required. Sculptures are prepared with traditional tools for stone processing, such as chisels, mallets, compasses and punches, as well as power tools such as multi-sanders. These works are being carried out on the grounds of the Museum – in the courtyard of the former Lanci House.
Also ongoing is the third stage of work, which began with the disassembly and transport of two more (the last two) Hercules sculptures and pedestals, which were transported to the studio in the courtyard of the Lanci House. Currently, intensive conservation and moulding works are being carried out on the above-mentioned objects. Among others, silicone moulds are being taken of the sculptures, which will be used to make plaster models necessary for carving stone copies of the Hercules.
The work is carried out as part of the “Restoration and protection of the symbol of the Polish cultural heritage – the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów” project.
