5 Rue des Francs — 1040 Brussels
tel./fax : 32 (0)2 733 86 84
info@cauchie.be
Restoration of the sgraffiti
The state of disrepair of the sgraffiti on the façade required urgent intervention. Sections of the sgraffiti had become detached from the base coat, which was a mortar subject to impacts and severely affected by frost and humidity. After careful examination and a feasibility study on the possible solutions, a proposal was put forward by the Royal Artistic Heritage Institute to reattach this base coat onto the wall by injection. This was subsequently abandoned in favour of a process of removal implemented by Marc Henricot and Walter Schudel. 58 fragments were cut away with a scalpel and then gradually reinstalled onto a lime and sand coat which offered greater resistance to humidity. Any gaps were filled in and touched up.
Uncovering the sgraffiti in the front room on the ground floor became the object of a delicate renovation project. However, under the layer of wallpaper which was removed with infinite care, the sgraffiti had remained largely intact apart from a few scratch marks, and traces of picture hooks and nails having been put into the wall.