What’s New @ ICA?

A large Joan Miró mural recently returned to the ICA Conservation Center from the Cincinnati Art Museum. The mural was commissioned by John J. Emery, Jr. for the Terrace Plaza Hotel. The hotel opened its doors on 6th Street in Cincinnati in 1947 and had world-class art throughout the building. (See ICA News Online for a description of the ICA's conservation of an 80' Saul Steinberg mural also painted for the hotel.) This remarkable mural, approximately 32' X 6', was created for the Gourmet Restaurant which sat atop the hotel overlooking the downtown area.

After the restaurant closed in 1964, the mural was donated by Emery to the Cincinnati Art Museum. It was treated upon arrival at CAM, most likely due to damage that occurred during de-installation from the restaurant. The ICA treated the mural in 2003, but due to time limitations only structural treatment steps were carried out. Those included the removal of an adhered cardboard, and the attachment of a supporting canvas and new mounting system.

The mural has now returned to the ICA for aesthetic restoration. In the early 1980's, CAM conservators applied a thin varnish to the mural's previously unvarnished surface. That varnish has discolored over time, as has previous inpainting, and both are changing the spatial depth of the mural, deadening its surface appearance. The ICA treatment will include a careful varnish removal and correction of the discolored inpainting, with the goal of recovering the mural's intended appearance. The treatment is anticipated to take about five months.