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Document Details : Title: Aanteekeningen van pastoors Subtitle: Unieke getuigenissen over de negentiende- en twintigste-eeuwse interieurafwerking van de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwbasiliek van Scherpenheuvel Author(s): VERDONCK, Ann Journal: Tijdschrift voor Interieurgeschiedenis en Design Volume: 46 Date: 2024 Pages: 11-23 DOI: 10.2143/GBI.46.0.3293681 Abstract : In response to the rising popularity of devotion to Mary at Scherpenheuvel, construction of a new church began in 1609, commissioned by Archdukes Albrecht and Isabella and designed by Antwerp master builder Wenceslas Cobergher. The structure was the first monumental stone domed church in the Netherlands in which the pressure forces were distributed by a chain of smaller chapels through huge volutes – an innovative technique inspired by Italian architecture. In the historiography of this striking monument, information about the historical finishing of the interior remains particularly vague. For instance, priest-redemptorist Armand Boni cites the 'whitewashed rotunda' with its 'red tiles', which is confirmed by curator Lantin who adds that from 1860 onwards, the dome space was graced with symbolic motifs depicting Mary’s virtues 'in a mixture of colour and gold'. As a result of recent colour and material research of the interior (Fenikx bv), a series of testimonials with 'Aanteekeningen' (notes) by three parish priests were recovered, providing new and unique insights on the basilica’s 19th- and 20th-century colour scheme. Pastor Jonghmans accurately describes the 'painting and decoration of the church' from 1859 onwards, carried out by the Mechelen-based workshop of Henri Van Doorselaer according to the drawings of Bruges gold embroiderer Louis Grossé. He discusses in detail the preparatory works such as the integral removal of the historical lime whites, which explains why no whitewash packages were found in the interior during the survey, as was common in the 17th and 18th centuries. Jonghmans further specified the nature of the paints used (preparation and topcoats), the iconography of the decoration, the issue of scaffolding, timing, cost, etc. His successor parish priest Pallemaerts, among others, documented the painting campaign of the vestibule and dome area in 1929, and parish priest Beyens’ notes cover the 'cleaning and painting' of the basilica in 1958. This contribution focuses on the importance of this exceptional source material which, in combination with the iconographic material and lab analyses, made it possible to correctly interpret and contextualise the findings in situ. |
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