A 13th-century mural in the St. Nicholas Church in Ghent is undergoing a thorough restoration. The painting, which depicts Christ on a throne surrounded by kneeling figures, was discovered in a worrying condition in the late 1990s.
The artwork came to light in 1998 during the dismantling of the baroque altar in the chapel of the Sweet Name of Jesus. The underlying plaster layers were powdery and showed cracks, leading to the immediate application of a protective layer of Japanese paper after its discovery.
The actual restoration is planned for the spring of 2027. A portion of the protective paper has already been removed for preliminary research. After all the paper is removed, potentially revealing more parts of the work, the final restoration will commence. Due to its age and rarity, the artwork is considered one of Flanders' most valuable medieval heritage sites.
The city of Ghent aims not only to preserve this valuable heritage but also to make it accessible to the public. By investing in the preservation of unique artworks like this mural, the city ensures that special stories from its past can be experienced in the future.
Bressers Architecten is responsible for the restoration of the mural. Several more restorations are planned for the St. Nicholas Church in the coming years, including that of the unique 19th-century organ built by the French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.
