Marochetti (1805-1867) was one of Queen Vitoria and Prince Albert’s favourite sculptors. He exhibited a clay model of Richard Coeur de Lion in the Great Exhibition of 1851 and was the only sculptor to receive an award from the Exhibition Council. After the Great Exhibition the statue was cast in bronze as a commemorative symbol of the event and was installed in the Old Palace Yard on a Cornish granite pedestal. Marochetti was commissioned in 1866 to undertake further work on the sculpture and made bas-relief panels for the sides of the pedestal, showing Richard’s victory over the Saracens at Ascalon, and the dying Richard pardoning Bertram de Gourdon.
Since then, the sculpture had been subjected to severe frost which had damaged one of the horse’s legs in the winter of 1908-9 and bomb damage during World War II. The bronze was also in a dirty condition because it had not been maintained on a regular basis.
The bronze had a heavy coating of lanolin based, black pigmented wax, which overlaid a naturally formed green corrosion patina. Despite the degradation of the bronze’s surface, evidence of the original dark brown patina remained. The granite plinth also had surface dirt and staining, and mortar joints had failed in places. To restore the bronze back to the artist’s intention it was cleaned to remove all dirt, organic matter and decayed coatings and prepared for selective re-patination.
Cleaning revealed a patchy uneven patina, areas of previous repairs and it exposed methods of construction. The structure of the bronze was thoroughly assessed to ensure the sculpture was stable and holes, cracks and areas of high porosity were filled to prevent water ingress. To reintegrate the surface finish the bronze was re-patinated. Finally, an application of micro-crystalline wax was applied to ensure that the bronze is protected. The buffed wax surface highlighted fine details such as the veins in the horse which were previously obscured by the matt and dirty surface. The granite plinth was also cleaned and the joints re-pointed.
A maintenance programme was compiled and the sculpture will be cleaned and waxed on a regular basis to prevent the build up of dirt and organic matter. A well maintained waxed surface will slow down the corrosion rate of the bronze, preventing a green oxidation layer forming which is typical to many unmaintained bronzes. A waxed surface will preserve the colour and finish of the sculpture for years to come.
