Video: Removing frescoes from the Centre Block

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Text on screen: Public Services and Procurement Canada)

[Shot of two frescoes surrounded by ornate wood framing in the office of the Leader of the Opposition.]

[Shot of additional frescoes in the office of the Leader of the Opposition.]

The images of the frescoes really depict the aspects that one would want to find in the Leader of the Opposition.

[Shot of a ladder and scaffold in the office of the Leader of the Opposition. The walls are decorated with frescoes and ornate wood panelling.]

In the office of the Leader of the Opposition, 14 frescoes decorate the walls of this historic space.

[Close-up shot of a fresco with the word “Moderation.”]

Frescoes are a type of mural painting where the pigments are painted directly onto the wet plaster.

[Close-up shot of a fresco depicting a knight in armour.]

[Close-up shot of a fresco depicting an older man sitting on a throne.]

[Photo of William Lyon Mackenzie King sitting at a desk with an open book and microphone.]

(Text on screen: William Lyon Mackenzie King)

The frescoes were painted by Italian artist Attilio Pusterla in 1920. The themes and images were developed by architect John Pearson with the help of William Lyon Mackenzie King, who was leader of the opposition at the time and later became Prime Minister.

[Drone shot of the Centre Block under construction. There is a large excavation site in front of the building with several construction vehicles.]

[Shot of a woman in protective equipment using a flashlight to assess a fresco.]

As the Centre Block undergoes major rehabilitation, experts had to determine how best to protect and preserve these irreplaceable works of art.

[Shot of a woman in protective equipment assessing the surface of a fresco.]

[Close-up shot of a fresco depicting a group of men with a knight.]

Over the years, the frescoes became discoloured by layers of overpaint. There were also issues with humidity and salt build up on the surface.

[Shot of a woman wearing protective equipment speaking on camera in a room with frescoes crated on a table behind her.]

(Text on screen: Kate Westbury, PSPC Heritage Lead, Centre Block Rehabilitation Project)

[Shot of a woman in protective equipment taking measurements of a fresco.]

[Kate Westbury says:]

“In order to really execute a treatment thoroughly and properly, really they need to be removed and treated in a lab facility and by removing them we are able to do that and therefore ensure their stability for the next hundred years.”

[Shot of a fresco depicting a man holding a shield. There are two other frescoes next to it with provincial coats of arms over two windows.]

[Shot of several workers on scaffolds working on frescoes in the office of the Leader of the Opposition.]

[Shot of a woman climbing a step ladder to take a photo of a fresco.]

[Shot of several workers on scaffolds working on frescoes.]

[Shot of two workers talking and gesturing towards a fresco.]

But developing a plan to remove these century-old frescoes was not an easy task. Experts from Hirst Conservation, a company based out of the UK, visited the site to collect samples and analyze the plaster. The team determined the best way to remove them would be to cut out entire sections of the wall for each fresco.

[Shot of a person wearing a white protective suit using a mechanical saw that will be used to cut out the wall behind a boarded up fresco.]

[Shot of a woman wearing protective equipment speaking on camera in a room with frescoes crated on a table behind her.]

(Text on screen: Lucy Kaszewska, Fine Arts Conservator, Hirst Conservation Ltd.)

[Lucy Kaszewska says:]

“We had to actually devise and design the tool and make it because it’s not as easy as going into a hardware store and picking something from the shelf.”

[Close-up shot of a mechanical saw cutting a portion of a wall behind a boarded up fresco.]

[Shot of a person wearing a white protective suit and face mask sitting on a wooden scaffold screwing in wooden supports to stabilize a fresco.]

[Shot of two people carefully lowering a fresco on a wooden exoskeleton to a table.]

[Shot of a group of people in protective equipment packaging a fresco in a large crate.]

The team carefully cut into the hard plaster behind each fresco. When the cutting was complete, they installed an exoskeleton to provide stability to the fresco. They were then able to lower each section to a table and place them in crates.

[Shot of a removed wall section with a fresco sitting on a table.]

[Photo of hands treating the surface of a fresco using a cotton swab and small white piece of paper.]

[Close-up shot of details of a fresco.]

Experts assessed each fresco and began conservation treatment which included reducing any damaged layers of overpaint, as well as salt removal.

[Close-up shot of a fresco depicting a man holding a shield.]

[Shot of two people installing a cover of a wooden crate.]

Once conservation treatment is complete, the frescoes will remain in storage until they can safely return to the Centre Block.

[Shot of a woman wearing protective equipment speaking on camera in a room with frescoes crated on a table behind her.]

[Close-up shot of a woman using a small tool and flashlight to work on the surface of a fresco.]

[Lucy Kaszewska says:]

“Obviously as a painting conservator, my favorite part was the removal of the disfigured and discoloured overpaint and exposing the original which was underneath and which still needs a lot of work but it already looks so much better.”

[Shot of a woman wearing protective equipment speaking on camera in a room with frescoes crated on a table behind her.]

[Shot of three people wearing white protective suits and face masks using mechanical saws to cut out a portion of a wall behind the frescoes.]

[Shot of two people wearing white protective suits and face masks assessing the wall where a fresco had been removed.]

[Shot of a woman wearing protective equipment speaking on camera in a room with frescoes crated on a table behind her.]

[Kate Westbury says:]

“My favorite part of working on this fresco project specifically is really just the opportunity to engage with other professionals like Hirst Conservation and to gain knowledge from these people who are incredibly specialized and have a great deal of knowledge that we don’t really have here in Canada. And, so Canada is in a position to learn from working with them and then in turn sharing it with other Canadians.”

[Shot of a person wearing a white protective suit and face mask using a mechanical saw to cut out a portion of a wall behind a fresco.]

[Shot from a different angle of a person wearing a white protective suit and face mask using a mechanical saw to cut out a portion of a wall behind a fresco.]

The major work being undertaken now will ensure the Centre Block will continue serving Canadians for generations.

[Shot of a group of people wearing white protective suits and facemasks carefully lowering a section of cut wall onto a surface.]

[Shot of two people wearing protective equipment placing frescoes inside a large wooden crate.]

[Shot of three people wearing protective equipment putting a lid on a large wooden crate.]

To learn about some of this work in more detail, be sure to visit the photo and video galleries on the Centre Block Project website.

(Text on screen: Check us out: facebook.com/PSPC.SPAC, instagram.com/pspc_spac, twitter.com/pspc_spac, youtube.com/PSPC_SPAC)

[Music stops]

(Text on screen: ISBN 978-0-660-70014-4, Catalogue P4-129/2024E-MP4)

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video