ESTERHÁZY PALACE
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Esterházy Palace is located in the town of Eisenstadt, Austria. The palace's current appearance dates back to the 17th century when it was acquired by the Hungarian noble family Esterházy. Under the leadership of Prince Paul I, the building was transformed into a Baroque palace. It remained the family's primary residence and administrative center for 300 years.
Today, Esterházy Palace is among Austria's most beautiful Baroque palaces and vividly demonstrates the wealth of the Esterházy court. The palace contains several rooms adorned with 18th-century Chinese wallpapers. Under the guidance of Austrian wallpaper restorer Markus Klasz, we restored Chinese wallpapers of two rooms. One of these rooms was once the bedroom of an Esterházy princess, and the other was her study. |
Client: Esterhazy Betriebe GmbH, Eisenstadt, Austria
Collaborator: Institut für Papierrestaurierung, Schloss Schönbrunn, Austria Team: Mag. Markus Krön and his team, Kadri Kallaste I participated in the project under the supervision of Mag. Markus Krön as a part of my doctoral thesis. See more: Esterhazy Palace |
RESTORATION OF 18TH CENTURY CHINESE WALLPAPER
The room adorned with Chinese wallpaper served as a bedroom before World War II. Its original blue finish was damaged during the war, and the room's wall design was then combined from Chinese wallpapers collected from several rooms. As a result, the room's walls featured two types of Chinese wallpapers: panels depicting blooming trees and exotic birds, and panels portraying scenes of Chinese daily life. Generally, two different designs of wallpaper are not combined in the same room in this manner.
The palace team discovered a large number of wallpaper panels, depicting birds and blooming trees, mounted on wooden frames in the building's attic. Despite significant moisture damage, these panels were chosen for restoration to create a cohesive style in the room.
To achieve this, we removed all the wallpapers from the bedroom walls. The task was straightforward because the wallpaper panels were attached to wooden frames, making them easy to remove and transport. For more effective conservation, we detached all wallpapers from the wooden frames. The panels depicting scenes of Chinese daily life were cleaned and packed away, as they were not intended for use.
After restoration, the panels depicting blooming trees and birds were reattached to the room's walls using the karibari framing method. These panels now provide a cohesive look to the room.
See more: Schloss Esterházy - Das Schlafzimmer der Fürstin
The palace team discovered a large number of wallpaper panels, depicting birds and blooming trees, mounted on wooden frames in the building's attic. Despite significant moisture damage, these panels were chosen for restoration to create a cohesive style in the room.
To achieve this, we removed all the wallpapers from the bedroom walls. The task was straightforward because the wallpaper panels were attached to wooden frames, making them easy to remove and transport. For more effective conservation, we detached all wallpapers from the wooden frames. The panels depicting scenes of Chinese daily life were cleaned and packed away, as they were not intended for use.
After restoration, the panels depicting blooming trees and birds were reattached to the room's walls using the karibari framing method. These panels now provide a cohesive look to the room.
See more: Schloss Esterházy - Das Schlafzimmer der Fürstin
CONCEPT FOR THE CHINOISERIE STUDY WALL DESIGN
The walls of the Esterházy princess’s study salon were originally adorned with blue carved wooden paneling and mirror frames. The walls were covered in gray silk moiré. However, historical material found in the palace archives indicated that the walls were once decorated with hand-painted Chinese wall coverings depicting figures, flowers, trees, and seaports.
To restore the historical interior, we decided to use seven rare Chinese silk paintings discovered in the palace archives. Each painting was framed with a narrow black paper border. The project aimed to develop a wall design concept that would allow the display of these silk paintings in the study. To achieve this, we gathered text and photographic material on similar room designs from across Europe, including Austria, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and other locations. A significant inspiration was the Porcelain Room (Porzellanzimmer) in Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, where the walls are adorned with framed drawings arranged in a symmetrical composition.
Since only the wooden paneling and mirror frames remained from the original design of the Esterházy palace study, we decided to keep the design for displaying the Chinese silk paintings as simple as possible. The inspiration came from 18th-century graphic rooms, which had gained popularity in the mid-18th century.
To display the restored silk paintings, we constructed a system of wooden frames. Each painting was given an appropriately sized opening, while the remaining surface was covered with gray fabric. This solution allows for the easy removal of the paintings when necessary.
To restore the historical interior, we decided to use seven rare Chinese silk paintings discovered in the palace archives. Each painting was framed with a narrow black paper border. The project aimed to develop a wall design concept that would allow the display of these silk paintings in the study. To achieve this, we gathered text and photographic material on similar room designs from across Europe, including Austria, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and other locations. A significant inspiration was the Porcelain Room (Porzellanzimmer) in Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, where the walls are adorned with framed drawings arranged in a symmetrical composition.
Since only the wooden paneling and mirror frames remained from the original design of the Esterházy palace study, we decided to keep the design for displaying the Chinese silk paintings as simple as possible. The inspiration came from 18th-century graphic rooms, which had gained popularity in the mid-18th century.
To display the restored silk paintings, we constructed a system of wooden frames. Each painting was given an appropriately sized opening, while the remaining surface was covered with gray fabric. This solution allows for the easy removal of the paintings when necessary.
