30 Rock Conservation Project

Conservation Project in New York while working with Evergreene Architectural Arts.  

Challenge

This prestigious conservation project, undertaken at the 30 Rockefeller Center lobby in New York, focused on a mural by the renowned Spanish painter José Maria Sert. The main challenge involved the removal of severely yellowed varnish layers and a significant amount of previous, historical overpaint that obscured the original colors and details of the artwork.

Technical Solution

The intervention was focused on the delicate surface treatment of the paint layer to restore the mural’s intended appearance:

• Varnish Removal: Specialized solvent mixtures were carefully applied to remove the heavily yellowed, degraded varnish, which was altering the overall tonality and contrast of the painting.

• Overpaint Removal: A meticulous process was employed to selectively remove the tremendous amount of historical overpaint, revealing the original brushstrokes and color scheme executed by Sert.

• Cleaning and Integration: Following the removal processes, the surface was cleaned, and minimal final integration (retouching) was performed where necessary to ensure the visual coherence of the recovered original paint layer.

The Result and Images The successful removal of the yellowed varnish and the extensive overpaint dramatically revitalized the mural. The original richness and depth of color of José Maria Sert’s artwork were fully revealed, restoring the visual impact of the piece within the iconic Rockefeller Center lobby.