Zprávy památkové péče 2016, 76(4):417-423

Restoration and protection of artificial stone using the example of concrete facsimiles from the Konopiště castle grounds

Lukáš Brotánek, Renata Tišlová

The Castle Garden in Konopiště holds a remarkable collection of sculptures from different types of materials and which are exceptional in terms of their historical development, material structure, and composition within the layout of the garden, which was conceived as a landscaped park. A substantial part of the sculptural decoration is made of artificial stone and cement-based, and which met the aesthetic standards of the time. In terms of durability, however, this is a very complicated and, compared to classical natural sculpture materials, less resistant material. For these reasons, the set of sculpture and artisan works from artificial stone have undergone gradual renovation from the 1960's and probably even earlier. The last renovation has been conducted since 2013 by the Faculty of Restoration of the University of Pardubice. As part of the work, a comprehensive survey of the development of the works made of artificial stone was carried out, and a consistent strategy of restoration and protection was developed that would extend the life of the monuments in their original conditions. The concept of recovery is illustrated using the restoration of a vase with snakes which was restored in the first phase of renovation in 2013 using proposed technology, whose functionality can be assessed for the 3rd season now.

Keywords: Konopiště; castle garden; restoration of stone sculpture works; concrete facsimiles

Published: December 1, 2016  Show citation