In October 2023, the Narva Museum successfully completed the first phase of the unique project "Narva Wooden Baroque."

In October 2023, the Narva Museum successfully completed the first phase of the unique project "Narva Wooden Baroque."

"In partnership with the Estonian Academy of Arts and the Pallas University of Applied Sciences, we began a detailed study of the collection of fragments of baroque wooden sculptures and ornaments from the 17th and 18th centuries. These rare art pieces, with a history of more than 300 years, have not been presented to the public for the last 70 years," says Anne Raud, the museum's exhibition manager and project curator.

Currently, the Narva Museum possesses a unique collection that includes about 70 valuable fragments of baroque sculptures and ornaments. These historical artifacts were discovered on the territory of old Narva, destroyed during World War II, and then handed over to the museum for preservation. Until recently, these fragments were difficult to identify and were not officially registered as museum exhibits. However, thanks to new information obtained during the recent project, their status will soon change.

From October 2 to 6, the project team conducted a comprehensive inventory of the collection: each item was described, photographed, and subjected to initial cleaning and preventive conservation. During the work, a number of important discoveries were made. Among them was the identification of items originating from two historical churches in Narva and the identification of ornaments as parts of frames for paintings.

Researchers managed to partially recreate the framing of a painting dated 1738, which was located on the wall of the Jaani Church. These were paired canvases and they were some of the largest in Estonia at the time – 2 x 3 meters!

From October 3 to 4, all interested could observe the process of restoring these valuable items. Additionally, as part of the project, a series of lectures by leading art historians was organized, allowing for a deeper understanding of the city's cultural and historical heritage.

"All project materials, including lectures and video reports, are available for viewing on the official website of the Narva Museum. This project is just the first step in the extensive research work we plan to continue in 2024 in collaboration with our partners," concludes Anne Raud.

The "Narva Wooden Baroque" project on the museum's website:

https://narvamuuseum.ee/eng/muuseum/projects/projektid/narva-puitbarokk-i-etapp/