The Restoration of Chapel Painting

The paintings of Br Antonio Moscheni S.J., completed and opened to the public on 22nd August 1901, because of the peculiar climatic conditions of India's South Western coast and the very nature of the material, were subject to deterioration, and that too, soon after their completion.

Already in the Annual Report of the College in1927 - '28 we have an appeal for contributions towards the restoration, which was to begin in1929 and the appeal led to a Fund being opened in1930 to finance this work. This restoration work was primarily on the pillars, the lower part of the walls and some other areas

Following this, amateur efforts, on and off, were attempted at preserving the paintings with more or less success. Thus in1961 we read of the pictures bring brushed over with a solution of diluted sulphuric acid. But from 1969 and especially around the time of the Centenary of the college in1980, serious thought was given to the restoration of the paintings affected by moisture, salinity, dust, grime, grease from candles and oil lamps and the debris of nocturnal creatures as also the natural aging of the paint and painted surfaces.

Attempts were made through appeals to international and national agencies to study as also to finance this whole project of restoration. The Italian Embassy to India as also that of the Netherlands was approached, similarly also the Ford Foundation, the Internation Council of Museum, UNESCO, but no concrete action resulted. The Archaeological Survey of India, the department of Archaeology and Museums of the Government of Karnataka Showed their interest submitting reports on condition of the paintings, but nothing more. So also with the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of cultural Property in1988.

By now it was 1990 when the urgency of the situation moved Fr Aveline D' Souza, Rector of the college at the time, to approach Dr. O.P. Agravwal, the Director General of the Indian Conservation Institute, Lucknow to visit Mangalore, see the paintings and decide whether he would undertake their restoration. Initial hesitation, due to pressure of other commitments in restoration, changed into a conviction that something had to be done immediately for "these paintings (that) were done with great faith by a talented artist with full dedication" after a visit on 25th March 1990,