As part of the European Heritage Days on 8-9 September, we also promoted “Restoration and protection of the symbol of the Polish cultural heritage – the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace in Wilanów” project, co-financed by the European Union from the funds of the European Regional Development Programme as part of the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment.
A temporary conservation workshop is currently located at the Lanci House, in the foreground of the Wilanów Palace, where copies of the Hercules garden sculptures and pedestals are made. On the September weekend, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors could see the process live and see what a sculptor’s work looks like, what skills and tools are required. It is worth knowing that this is the last stage of a long and complex process of making such copies, preceded by removing the silicone form from the original, making a three-dimensional computer model and processing the stone block by a machine working on the basis of this model. However, the work of a certified sculptor-artist is necessary in order to give the work its final form and to make the copy look like the original, corresponding to its aesthetic values.
On the occasion of the presentation of the works, we also talked about the reasons for making copies, about what happens to the originals and answered any questions from the public. We were accompanied by information boards explaining the principles of the whole task and showing the appearance of the sculptures at subsequent stages of copying. This task is slowly coming to an end and soon the audience will be able to admire all the copies placed together with the pedestals on the shore of Wilanowskie Lake.
