Restoration of the oratories
Repairs and retouching on the carved ornaments and spandrel surfaces
The oratories that curve into the hall in front of the altar area allowed the Prince-Bishops and high-ranking personalities to follow the service from a separate small prayer-room on the upper floor of the Court Chapel. The cabinets, richly decorated with gilded carvings, are largely made of wood and rest on console slabs of natural stone, like balconies. The floor is inlaid with parquet, so that it is less cold for the user than the stone surface elsewhere.
Fig. 1: Balthasar Neumann, preliminary drawing dating from 1736 for an oratory in the Court Chapel.
Apart from the figurative and ornamental decorations, the overall construction of the oratories, with their relatively large sliding windows, is remarkable. Although a precise examination of the details of their construction would be interesting, it has only been possible to a limited extent, using an endoscope, in the context of the current restoration work. Abnormalities in larger joints and cavities were investigated using a flexible miniature camera. Interventions affecting the original substance – e.g., by opening up the panelling and window mechanisms – would only be justifiable in the existing situation if conservational requirements actually made it necessary. This was the case with the images of the floorboards obtained, as quite a few pieces of wood were swollen and warped. This made it possible to document the supporting structures underneath (slabs of natural stone firmly anchored with iron brackets).
Fig. 2: Ceiling of the southern oratory, with ornamentation temporarily removed. On the left there is a small endoscope, used to examine cavities.
Due to damp, not only the floor of the southern oratory, but also areas of the white coating and gilding were damaged. Cleaning and stabilization work is being carried out, as well as a little retouching over severe stains on the white surfaces, and broken pieces of the ornamentation are being repaired. Cracks and cavities in the stucco relief on the curved ceilings are also being examined and given restoration treatment if needed. Lining or closure of the shrinkage cracks in the white filling areas does not appear to be necessary, as the damage is barely noticeable (from the distance of the normal visitor to the Court Chapel).