Unique Ancient Greek frieze restored
ARTinvestment.RU   19 марта 2009

Specialists of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum restored the ancient terrain, crashed more than 500 fragments

Sculptural relief from the collection of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum, once adorned one of the finest architectural ensembles created by the ancient Greeks, was recently restored after the terrible accident. Seven years ago, during the preparation of the exhibition in Berlin frieze fragments of limestone, dating from about the year 380 BC, fell from a height polutorametrovoy on tile floor and broke more than 500 fragments. Only now, after many years, are able to gather them together.

This sculptural relief was in the ancient city of Tris, in the southeast of present Turkey, and decorated the walls of the tombs, which was buried a local ruler who revered citizens. In 1881, the frieze was removed from the walls and sent to the Vienna museum.

Relief from Tris, of course, work on such well-known as the Parthenon marble sculptures decorate the altar or Pergamsky, but its importance can not be overemphasized. Despite the fact that fragments of the frieze were kept in Vienna for 125 years, they have never been exhibited due to lack of exhibition space and had been deprived of attention from scientists and the public that they deserve.

In 2002, 14 of elevation of the walls of tombs in Tris were transferred to the exhibition «Greek classics», organized by the museums of Berlin. It opened in the exhibition hall of Martin-Gropius-Bau in the German capital, and then moved to Bonn.

Three fragments of the frieze was installed in the Martin-Gropius-Bau, where the incline rack, where they were laid down, fell down. The cause of unhappiness was the lack of design: balance maintained only with all 14 blocks, and when it secured only a few details stand collapsed.

Seeing that the construction starts to heel, the restorer of the Vienna museum following the work of the Berlin assembly, instinctively stretched his hand forward, to keep the rack. But then, realizing the danger, bounced off and miraculously escaped, because the steel rack and three heavy stone, the overall length of 3.5 meters, can simply run it.

terrain divided into 25 large pieces, 500 small fragments, and the rest was more like dust. Specialists carefully collected all that was possible, and restore this part of the frieze of the old photos. Large fragments connected by steel rods and a small attached using glue. Cracks bedaub and missing pieces restored by a special mass. «Now it's just the visitors hardly notice damage», - proudly noted Dr. Kurth Gshvantler (Dr Kurt Gschwantler), who heads the office, and ancient Greek art at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

material produced Catherine Onuchin

Source: theartnewspaper.com , artinvestment.ru