House of Lords: Royal Gallery Frescos

Lord Trefgarne Excerpts

Thursday 13th June 2013 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Lord Trefgarne]

To ask the Chairman of Committees what is the present condition of the two large Maclise frescos in the Royal Gallery; and what are his plans for their restoration.

[The Chairman of Committees (Lord Sewel)]

My Lords, over the past 12 months a research project with the Cologne University of Applied Sciences has been run by the Curator’s Office to examine the condition of the murals and investigate ways to improve their presentation. At the moment it is too early to say how the murals might be restored, but the results of that research will be available in the autumn, and early indications are positive. A briefing note with further details is available in the Library.

[Lord Trefgarne]

My Lords, would it not be a shame if these iconic pictures, part of the House of Lords and part of the House of Lords art collection, were to be allowed to deteriorate further, and will the noble Lord the Lord Chairman do his best to see that that does not happen?

[The Chairman of Committees]

My Lords, I fully anticipate that the curator, once this research has been completed, will be able to come forward with proposals for the conservation, cleaning and lighting of the murals so that they can be restored to their full glory and vibrancy—I hope before any future visit by a French President.