Catherine Palace Restoration

[londo954]

I know at the time of the restoration (from the National Geographic documentary) that there was a concern over the amount of gold leave needed to gild the decorative elements in the room. Most likely the painting was extended to save some money. What you need to find is the original plans which a lot of the restoration work was based on. The ceiling itself is a miracle since it was reproduced based on black and which photographs.

[londo954]

Here is two links that are photographs taken of the Great Hall
The first is 1900.....
http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/fcgi-bin/db2www/descrPage.mac/descrPage?selLang=English&indexClass=PICTURE_EN&PID=JRFT-32599&numView=1&ID_NUM=3&thumbFile=%2Ftmplobs%2FC91A_233_40AO_40KK0NL_236.jpg&embViewVer=last&comeFrom=quick&sorting=no&thumbId=6&numResults=34&tmCond=Catherine+Palace&searchIndex=TAGFILEN&author=Nikolayevsky%2C%26%2332%3BFiodor
the second is 1859
http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/fcgi-bin/db2www/descrPage.mac/descrPage?selLang=English&indexClass=PICTURE_EN&PID=JRFT-32495&numView=1&ID_NUM=11&thumbFile=%2Ftmplobs%2FOU7P4EQ3PXC0P0GB6.jpg&embViewVer=last&comeFrom=quick&sorting=no&thumbId=6&numResults=34&tmCond=Catherine+Palace&searchIndex=TAGFILEN&author=Richebourg%2C%26%2332%3BE.

Note the changes in the decorative elements on the third tier???

[londo954]

Eureka I have discovered why the difference in the ceiling. This is from the Tsarkoe Selo Website:

In 1953–54, during restoration work on St Michael’s Castle in St Petersburg, the side parts of Valeriani’s ceiling painting – the Allegory of Peace and Allegory of Victory that had been considered lost – were rediscovered. Thanks to that find, it was decided to recreate the ceiling decoration in its original form, returning the two surviving elements to the Catherine Palace. The recreation of the central part was aided by the existence of so me rough sketches by Valeriani and his description of the composition with an interpretation of all the allegories plus a drawing made by Stakenschneider in 1857, when the ceilings in several of the state rooms were redecorated to designs by the court architect

It would seem that when the room was restored the original ceiling painting was restored which did not include the third tier of decoration. As I hypothesized the original painting was much bigger and the room was altered in between.

[ArchitectCS]

The question of the ceiling is something that has always bothered me, but if you look at the rest of Rastrelli's architecture in the palace, the current design makes sense. In all of the other large ante rooms, he used a flat ceiling. It was only in the smaller one story rooms that a cove was used. Making it flat makes it consistent with the rest of the architecture in this portion of the palace.

The other thing that has bothered me is that in the old pictures there are candelabra on either side of the mirrors on the lower and upper level while there currently are candles on only the lower. It makes the room look rather dark in the upper portion. Anyone have any idea why this is? Is it the original design?

[londo954]

A guess.... remember the palace (like the AP) was originally a Summer Palace ....

[Alexandre Mikhaelovitch]

Agate Rooms re-open from September 27 !!!

http://eng.tzar.ru/info/info-events/title/?id=3233

[Alexandre Mikhaelovitch]

Restoration of Catherine Palace Chapel

http://www.angelfire.com/pa/ImperialRussian/blog/index.blog/1468042/restoration-of-catherine-palace-chapel-to-cost-1-billion-rubles/

[Dwightzery]

Hello,
 
I'm the new guy. I justed wanted to say hello to the gang in hopes of making new freinds.
I hope everyone is doing great and I'm looking forward to great discussions within the site.
Have a good day!

[Alexandre Mikhaelovitch]

Welcome for your arrival Dwightzery ^^

Latest news for the restoration of the Catherine Palace : after the restoration of the  the golden chandelier made of lapis lazuli and gilded bronze and the gilt-bronze and lapis-lazuli furniture set , a door of the fabulous Lyons room was recently restored .

(photos from the facebook page of the Tsarskoie Selo State Museum).


©Tsarskoye Selo State Museum


©Tsarskoye Selo State Museum


©Tsarskoye Selo State Museum


©Tsarskoye Selo State Museum


©Tsarskoye Selo State Museum

The lapis-lazli and golden door was restored by Amber room team :


©Tsarskoye Selo State Museum


©Tsarskoye Selo State Museum

http://eng.tzar.ru/museums/palaces/c_atherine/lyons_hall

[Sanochka]

Absolutely stunning.

[Joanna]

©Tsarskoye Selo State Museum

I am in awe of the restorers work. Magnificent!

Joanna

[JGP]

©Tsarskoye Selo State Museum

I am in awe of the restorers work. Magnificent!

Joanna

I am too!  That is a beautiful facsimile.

[Alexandre Mikhaelovitch]

Dear members , anothers photos of the Lyons Hall :

Fabulous details of the golden and lapis-lazuli restored doorway :







Views of the Lyon's room with original furnitures and an imperial inlaid piano .
We can see too the fabulous recently restored chandelier of empress Maria , wife of emperor Alexander II :







Details of the piano's marquetry :





And finally on the foreground a view of the future restored inlaid parquet (also burned during the WWII): 2 m² have been already reconstitued :

[Alexandre Mikhaelovitch]

For memory , the original Lyons Hall (here painting by Hau , circa 1860) ... there is still work to be done ! ^^
(you recognize the doorway to the right . The original pearl and precious wood inlaid door leaves still exist , held in reserve).
click on for best resolution

[Joanna]

Do pieces from the ceiling still exist?

Joanna