Historians criticize the form of the reconstruction of the Clam-Gallas Palace

Prague - The Art History Society criticizes the recently completed reconstruction of the Baroque Clam-Gallas Palace in Prague. According to experts, inappropriate interventions during the reconstruction damaged artistic elements both in the exterior and the interior. They disapprove of the manner in which the stone sculptures on the facade were painted and the repaints, which according to them damaged the newly uncovered frescoes on the walls of the main staircase, as well as the new color scheme of the outer shell.

The society addressed the appearance of the palace after reconstruction at its general meeting today. In a resolution passed, which was provided to ČTK by committee member Jan Dienstbier, they call for discussions with the relevant institutions to explore the possibilities of rectification and the adoption of systematic measures. According to art historians, the results of the reconstruction are a systemic failure, as it is common for investors not to order restoration work subject to heritage oversight themselves, but to handle it through subcontracting.

Art historians wrote to the Minister of Culture Martin Baxa (ODS) at the end of April due to what they see as a failed reconstruction. In his response, he stated that this is an issue that falls under the regulation of standards governing public contracts.

The Prague City Hall completed the reconstruction of the Baroque Clam-Gallas Palace on Mariánské náměstí last autumn. It lasted from 2018 and cost approximately 569 million crowns including VAT. The Museum of the City of Prague (MMP) will get the space, where it will set up exhibitions dedicated to Baroque Prague. The city plans to have a restaurant or shops on the ground floor of the palace.

According to experts, it is one of the best-preserved aristocratic city palaces in the world. The current high Baroque appearance of the palace was created between 1714 and 1718 by builder Tomáš Haffenecker according to the design of the Viennese court architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach for Count Jan Václav Gallas. Since World War II, it has housed the Archives of the Capital City of Prague, which has gradually moved out since 2017.

The palace is decorated by leading contemporary artists, including the stucco artist Santino Bussi from Ticino, the painter Carlo Innocenzo Carlone, and Prague sculptor Matyáš Bernard Braun.

"The restoration of the palace and the associated artworks, in our opinion, was not carried out sensitively enough, and its level does not meet current general standards, both from an international as well as a domestic heritage theory and practice perspective. We particularly have in mind the manner of the painting of Braun's stone sculptures and reliefs on the facade of the palace, and the unacceptable insensitive repaints that damaged the newly uncovered, partially preserved frescoes on the walls of the main staircase, associated with the name Carlo Innocenzo Carlone. The new color scheme of the outer shell also remains questionable,” the historians stated in their letter to Baxa.

They believe that the method of repairing the palace is the result of a systemic failure, as it is frequent that the investor does not himself order restoration work that is subject to heritage law, but restoration is subcontracted to the contractor of the construction work. "This situation causes an disproportionately increasing pressure on restorers, while alleviating the investors' social responsibility for the outcome of the restoration work,” the historians noted.

According to Baxa, the Ministry of Culture has repeatedly attempted to change the rules for awarding public contracts not only in the field of restoration but also, for example, regarding archaeological finds. "Among other things, these efforts have failed, partly due to minimal support from the professional community,” the minister stated.