Bridfas
Brussels Decorative and Fine Arts Society
Bridfas Events 2009-2010
Previous Events This Season
Autumn Study Day 2009 - Saturday, November 14
Moctezuma and the Aztecs
"We arrived at a causeway…and when we saw so many cities and villages built in the water and other great towns on dry land and the straight and level causeway…we were amazed and said that it was like the enchantments they tell of in the legend of Amadis, on account of the great towers and temples and buildings rising from the water, and all built on masonry. And some of our solders even asked whether the things they saw were not a dream.”
Such was the impression of the Spanish conquistadors as they first laid eyes on Moctezuma’s island city of Tenochtitlan in 1519.
As we learned on our London Study Day, this was just the beginning of the many marvels of the so-called Aztec people. Ingenious artisans, they left a legacy of beautifully crafted gold jewellery, finely carved wooden drums, stone sculptures and intriguing turquoise inlaid objects such as stylized snakes, knife handles, masks and skulls.
All of this risked to be lost to us forever. Moctezuma’s city was dynamited and buried underneath a pile of rubble. Books which recorded the local history were burned because they were considered pagan. Precious objects were dispersed throughout Europe and dismantled for their stones and gold.
Just a few years after the demise of Moctezuma and the death of a sizeable portion of the local population due to overwork and exposure to European diseases, a lone Jesuit priest, repentant of his part in what had transpired, began recording recent events with the help of local artists. Thus a distinctive artistic style was partially recovered. Decades later, art objects were found in Florence and purchased before jewellers had time to ravage them; and in recent years serious excavations have begun in order to unearth as much of the ancient city as possible.
A new appreciation for the Aztecs has been born and we were fortunate to be a part of this long-awaited and well-deserved process. Our sincere thanks go to Victor de Vries for organizing this impeccable study day.
The Restoration of a Severely Damaged Icon
The icon before restoration.
After the first stage of cleaning
The icon after varnishing
Left: The finished results
Article by Renate Postma, Restorer of paintwork and gold, silver and metal objects
"Being a restorer is the most unthankful profession there is: If you have done a good job, no one will see; if you deliver bad work, it is said you are an ‘art spoiler’ …"
Sometimes I subscribe to this quote but not in the case described in the following restoration story.
Two months ago a very damaged silver-covered icon was brought to me for evaluation. The owner told me he inherited it from his mother, who bought it about 50 years ago in Poland, her homeland. During the last years before his mother died his father lovingly burned a candle in front of it each day, which in the end caused the severe damage. Still, the owner was very attached to the icon because it reminded him to his beloved mother. So he asked me if there was any possibility of restoring it, although it looked hopeless.
I went to a colleague for a second opinion, but he advised me just to clean it as well as possible and varnish it with a good varnish to prevent it from getting worse. Because I am a little pigheaded, I started to scratch very carefully with a scalpel, a real trial of patience! After removing most of the thick and partly burned lacquer, I carefully removed the remainder with a cotton bud dipped in alcohol. See the second photo.
Then the missing parts were retouched with paint, and in the end the icon was varnished with good quality picture varnish. (photo 3)
The silver cover was repaired, polished and replaced (Photo 4)
Stamps on the silver cover indicated that the icon was made in Russia in the last quarter of the 19th century.
I honestly must say that I hoped for but did not expect such good results. Maybe there was some divine guidance (as Paula Cagli suggested when I showed her the pictures…).
Back to the quote: when I returned the icon to the owner and saw the look of surprise and satisfaction on his face I realised I have the most thankful profession there is!
Paula's Pot Luck Party
I would to thank all those who
attended my "Pot Luck Party" in September from those who brought pinkie food
to those who brought fruit pies. I was told that the table looked like
something from a gourmet magazine. It was a great beginning-of-the-season
ice-breaker, a way to get to know other members of the society and to make
new friends.
Here are some of the comments I received on the following days:
“…very many thanks for hosting the pre-season party last evening. It was a great idea and I got the feeling that all those there really enjoyed it. It certainly gave the 2 new members an opportunity to get to know a few faces.”
“I want to thank you once more for your kind hospitality of yesterday evening. It was a lovely start to the season.”
”Well done, great party, good idea, … good to meet your better half!”
“Many thanks for such a lovely ‘Pot Luck’ party last Wednesday evening. I really enjoyed myself.”
“I want to thank you very much for the wonderful reception at your home for us bridfas members. I was able to talk to many people that I have seen prior to the lectures but never really talked to at length.”
“…thank you for your hospitality last Wednesday. It was very generous of you and Alessandro to invite us to your home. Members were able to see one another again and meet some newcomers in very agreeable surroundings. The party had a very pleasant ambiance.”
“Thank you so much for a lovely evening on Wednesday. I was made to feel so welcome and it was a super opportunity to meet others who will be attending the meetings."