Malowidła ścienne w dawnym kościele archikolegiackim w Tumie pod Łęczycą - historia, stan zachowania, uwagi i wnioski

The Romanesque mural painting in the western apse of the old arch-collegiate church in Turn near Łęczyca is one of the oldest and most valuable in Poland. It was created before 21 May 1161, when the sanctuary underwent conservation. It spite of considerable damages, the painting composition is relatively legible. It occupies an area of 40 m2. The painting technique is typical for the period. The main conservation work was carried out in 1960. During that time the remaining repaintings were removed, the paint flakes were affixed and mounted onto the base. Also, all the sand-cament-lime patches made during temporary repairs were removed. These unfortunate repairs had been carried out after strengthening the walls by means of cement injections and after covering the concha with a stable, but controversial concrete "cap". New putty and lime — sand patches were also applied, covered by a colour resembiling the surroundings, i.e. by a neutral stain. The conservation work of 1960 was carried out in exceptionally difficult atmospheric conditions and at a high humidity of the interior. Already in 1968, attention was drawn to the catdStrophic state of the painting, which was the result of continuous dampening of the premises by subterranean and condensation water. The main cause was said to be the fact of not completing the intended conservation-building work, including the incomplete and ineffective execution of the isolation of the structure from subterranean waters. In 1989 a high dewing of the wall relics in the underground of the west apse was noted, with capillary raising of the water (to a lesser or greater degree depending on the season of the year) in the lower part of the apse to the height of ab. 1.5 m from the floor level. There were also considerable disintegrations of the original wall plaster preserved below the windows, flaking of the original paint layer — primarily on the painting's rims. Also, the structure of the new patches und lime-sand putties was seriously disturbed, together with the paint layer. Most of the paint decoration in the eastern apse was uncovered in 1952. The decoration has been preserved in fragments in the upper parts of the walls and in the window splays. A stylistic analysis unequivocally defines it as late-Renaissance paintings. These paintings were created most probably by the a! secco technique on a thin whitewash with the use of an organic binder. The direct base is lime-sand wall plaster with an addition of crumbled brick. The main conservation work was carried out in 1960 by the same team of conservators. The decoration in the east apse had strong blistering of the wall plasters. The layers of wall plaster protruding from the stone contents were filled with injection fluid of lime casein with a chalk filler. The small blisters were eliminated by means of injections of only aqueous dispersion of polyvinyl acetate, then the remaining accumulated layers covering the decoration were removed and all other wall plasters of the apse were investigated for the presence of paintings. The range of uncovered polychrom was broadened by ab. 40%. Dust and weepings were removed mechanically, wall plaster losses were filled out with lime-sand putty, and wall plaster edges were secured with lime-sand bands. The legible fragments of the decoration were pointed with a dot, while larger putties and patches were covered with a neutral stain. In 1968 attention was drawn to colour changes that had taken place on the painting decoration in the presbytery. One of the main causes of the paintings’ yellowing in the replenished parts was seen in the high dampening of the interior, in which the relative humidity of air is always high. The Gothic-Renaissance painting decoration with plant tnemes has been preserved on the arcade arch and in the vaulting of one of the bays of the south nave. The state of preservation of this decoration is the best of all the wall polychrome paintings in the church. The time of its creation falls on the years of reconstruction of the church after the great, fire of 1473. The Gothic-Renaissance decoration, being the best preserved, was not included in the conservation plan of 1960. However, today it should be put through thorough investigation and conservation measures. The determ.nation of the type and scope of undertakings will be possible only following thorough examination from scaffolding. Visually, the state of this decoration js good. The necessity of putting the old arch-collegiate church in Tum in order, particularly its interior, is obvious. It is only the method of doing this that needs to be discussed. The conservation condusions that author has formulated in the article aim to properly steer the future work and to avoid possible technical and organizational mistakes that have been made in the past.