8/21/2019 Painting of the Lutheran Cellar in Sevnica

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Painting of the Lutheran cellar in Sevnica, Slovenia: Studying the Murals. Analysis of Degradation,

Technique and the Question of Authorship

The wall painting of the Lutheran Cellar (an outbuilding below the Sevnica castle) is among the most

important painting monuments in Slovenia. It is a quality mural, which nonetheless, ever since its

discovery in the middle of the twentieth century, triggered many guesses regarding its date of origin,authorship, design, circumstances and content. The belief that the painting displays protestant themes has

made it even more intriguing, especially since there are few such remains in Slovenia. The dating was

estimated to be between the last quarter of the sixteenth century to the second decade of the seventeenth

century, while the author's probable origin was either Italy or somewhere north of the Alps. It was only the

discovery of several graphic prints in the Munich archives in 2013, which had been used by the author of

the Lutheran Cellar, that a new light was shed on the painting. It helped determine the date of origin as

after 1599, and also reveal its patron as the owner of the Sevnica Castle, who was supposedly also a crypto-

Protestant. The usage of northern graphic designs points towards the painter being from the north and not

having any direct contact with the Italian art.1 

The painting, executed in the oil tempera technique, which is a bit unusual for wall paintings, has due to

the unfavourable circumstances quickly decayed. Because of the high humidity, salt crystallisation,

temperature oscillation and inappropriate use of the room in the past (granary and a wine cellar) the state

of the painting was very bad which led to the destruction of a larger piece of the original. Still, the low

preserving does not however hinder the ability to see its high quality and dependence on the important

renaissance examples.

In 2010 and 2011 the third large conservation treatment in the last hundred years has been carried out and

served as an opportunity for a detailed study of the painting. The project brought together various experts

from specific fields. Scientific research and analysis helped investigate the manner of painting, thematerials used, their alteration and reasons for damage. The analysis showed that before the first painting

the wall was layered with preparation agent. The adhesive with high content of proteins and oil enabled

thick layering, so that the painting at some places looks as an oil painting. We have also noticed the

alternation of certain pigments, such as copper and lead ones and the discolouration of blue (smalt), which

was far more intensive in the past. The biggest visual change was the alteration of calcium carbonate in

plaster to calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), an easily soluble salt, which caused a gray veil on the

surface. Another problem was also the use of solidifiers in the past restoration, such as liquid nylon, which

degrades not only physically and chemically, but also biologically. Therefore, the particular problem on the

painting was the intensity of the micro-biological decay, because the surface was layered with various

microorganisms, mould and fungi and was in parts completely blackened.2 

1 Gašper CERKOVNIK, Poslikava Lutrovske kleti v Sevnici: grafične predloge in poreklo neznanega slikarja , Ljubljana, 2013.

2 Sabina KRAMAR, Poročilo naravoslovnih preiskav, Sevnica –  Lutrovska klet EŠD 13753, Ljubljana, 2012.Polona ZALAR, Nina GUNDE-CIMERMAN, Preliminarno laboratorijsko poročilo preiskave vzorcev z objekta Lutrovska klet,

Ljubljana, 2011.

Katja KAVKLER, Ajda MLADENOVIC, Spremembe pigmentov na stenski poslikavi v Lutrovski kleti v Sevnici, Ljubljana, 2012.