Conservators at Boston's historic Old North Church are meticulously uncovering 18th-century painted angels that have been hidden under layers of paint for over a century. Led by conservator Gianfranco Pocobene, the conservation project aims to reveal each of the painted angels that once adorned the church's walls, Fox News reported.
"It's really been quite a revelation to find these really interesting and historic works of art on the walls of the church that nobody has seen in our lifetime," said Pocobene, Fox News reported. "Just to be part of a project where we are revealing something from colonial America is really extraordinary."
The painted angels, which have childlike faces and wings, were a distinctive feature of the Old North Church when they were completed around 1730. However, they were painted over in 1912 during an austere renovation. "It remains unclear why the angels were painted over," noted Pocobene, ABC News reported.
Emily Spence, who operates the church as a historic site, emphasized the importance of the restoration. "For a large part of the church's history, people coming here would have seen these angels, would have seen the colorful interior," said Spence, Fox News reported. "The color palette was an important part of the identity of the people worshiping here, as members of an Anglican church. The interiors were a feature that separated the church from the Puritans who dominated Boston at the time."
The restoration project began in September, and this month, eight of the angels were completed, with the other eight to be finished by spring. Pocobene and his colleague, painting conservator Corrine Long, faced challenges in the restoration process. "One of the biggest challenges was removing seven layers of paint," said Long, according to ABC News. She described it as "easily one of the most difficult challenges" they had faced, but they managed to free the angels without damaging them.
According to ABC News, the restoration team softened the paint layers by first applying a solvent gel and then manually removed them with a plastic scraper. After removing the paint, they cleaned the angels with cotton swabs and retouched them to eliminate signs of damage.
"Each one has its own character—they're not copies," explained Pocobene to ABC News. "The artist John Gibbs painted them individually, and they're all in different poses. This gives them a wonderful rhythmic pattern across the surface of the church."
The angels were painted around 1730 by congregant John Gibbs, as confirmed by historical records and a contract he signed. A paint study conducted in 2017 confirmed the existence of the angels but not their condition, Fox News reported.
As they prepared to remove scaffolding, Pocobene said to ABC News, "When we first looked at the project six months ago, we had no idea what was here."
"When I enter a historic building, being surrounded by the original paintings or decorations that were there always fascinates me," added Long, according to ABC News. "When it was painted white, some of that grandeur and history is lost," she said.
Built to house Boston's growing colonial Anglican community, the Old North Church is best known for the two lanterns hung from its steeple during Paul Revere's midnight ride in 1775 to warn of the approaching British army. Paul Revere himself was a teenage bell ringer in the congregation of Old North Church, Fox News reported.
In 1860, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote "Paul Revere's Ride," mentioning Old North Church and the two lanterns hung from its steeple, introducing the phrase "one if by land, and two if by sea."
As the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere's ride approaches in April, church officials want to highlight Old North Church's beginnings in 1723 and its identity as a beacon of liberty. "This project will restore the church not only to its physical appearance but also bring back some of its spiritual essence," said Nikki Stewart of Old North Illuminated, according to WCVB.
The restoration project will cost $465,000. "First, it allows our visitors to see a little bit of the church as Paul Revere would have known it," said Stewart, WCVB reported. "I think it's really special that this project will bring Old North not only closer to what it looked like physically but closer to what it was spiritually as well."
Visitors to the church are already reacting to the uncovered angels. Two tourists from California, Sean Dixon and Sarah Jardine, recently entered the church and looked up at the scaffolding. "I was kind of shocked when I first saw it," said Dixon, according to Fox News. "It looks really cool, and I'm really excited to see the full picture once the scaffolding comes down."
There are 16 cherubs depicted as painted angels, and all are unique. "That was one of the exciting things, actually, that they're not all a copy of each other," said Pocobene, according to WCVB.
The restorationists first used a solvent to dissolve and remove the overpaint, then applied a layer of varnish before filling in any damages. "Basically the intent is to unify the images so they look complete and whole so everyone can enjoy them for what they are," said Pocobene, WCVB reported.
"When we began removing the paint, we realized we were uncovering something special," said Long, according to ABC News.
The grand reveal of the project will be in April, coinciding with the anniversary of Paul Revere's ride.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.