SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 29 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Parliament of the Canary Islands commenced the restoration work on a canvas that had been hidden for forty years within the plenary hall. Chamber President, Astrid Pérez, emphasised the significance of restoring a piece credited to La Palma painter, Manuel González Méndez, “which had been concealed beneath layers of paint and the curtain embellished with the Canary Islands coat of arms that adorns the chamber.”
“The Parliament has endeavoured to kickstart this process for several years and finally, in this XI Legislature, we have successfully initiated some work that will enable us to recuperate and preserve this piece of the Canary Islands’ historical and artistic heritage,” highlighted the President. She also stated that with this initial phase, “we are also addressing a recommendation from the Historical Heritage Technical Unit of the Tenerife Island Council which, in 2019, following a series of tests on the third canvas, concluded that its restoration was imperative to restore the hall’s noble space to a cohesive narrative. Simultaneously, a piece by one of the most esteemed Canarian artists of all time would be reintroduced to the public.”
Given that the restoration work is being conducted at a height, a scaffold structure has been erected at the head of the plenary hall for the month of August. The hidden artwork is situated between the two paintings by Manuel González Méndez that preside over the plenary hall and, according to another assessment by the Historical Heritage Technical Unit of the Tenerife Island Council, is believed to depict the coat of arms of the Provincial Council of the Canary Islands.
The technicians have decided that it would be more practical for the Canary Islands Parliament to execute this task during non-working periods and in stages, “enabling decisions to be made based on the findings from each phase, considering the uncertainty of what might be uncovered, and thereby avoiding any disruption to parliamentary proceedings.”
The painting awaiting restoration is an oil on canvas piece affixed to the wall and concealed under numerous layers of decorative paint, originally believed to date back to 1906. It measures 252 by 173 centimetres and, as per a report from the Tenerife Council’s unit back in 2018, “it was covered with tapestries in the 1980s, during the 1st Legislature.”
During this month, the initial phase of the restoration work involving cleaning will be executed by two skilled restorers. This stage will involve replicating the tests undertaken in 2019, utilising distinct materials and specialized restoration solutions. The experts supervising this phase state that “it involves a very delicate and meticulous cleaning process to gradually eliminate the layers of paint until the original pictorial composition is revealed.”
