Olivier Vernet
Ornamental sculpture – restoration
Achievements
St Martin’s Church
St Hilaire Church
For private customers
Chateau in Touraine
The Louvre
AbBaye de Montbenoit
Chateau de Fontainebleau
Valenciennes Town Hall
OrleanS Cathedral
Le Lutetia
Other Sculptures
Ornamental stone carvers are craftsmen specializing in the creation of decorative details in relief, often intended to embellish buildings, monuments or public spaces. This job requires a combination of rigorous technical skills. Attention to detail, patience and precision are essential to transform a raw block of material into a delicate, elaborate work of art.
Restoration of the ornamentation aims to preserve as much of the original material as possible. It should not detract from the building, nor should it be “visible”.
On his various sites, the ornamental sculptor is called upon to carry out a sanitary assessment, which consists of evaluating the condition of the sculptures, determining the causes of deterioration and choosing the most appropriate restoration strategy, which can range from delicate cleaning to complex reconstruction.
The sculptor recommends a course of restoration in consultation with the Architect des Bâtiments de France and the DRACC, in the case of public worksites, and with the stonemason and/or private individual in the case of private worksites.
After primary cleaning to remove lichen, moss and lead from the facades, the next step is to choose the most appropriate technique for restoration.
When the element is only slightly damaged, we can intervene by gumming (or micro-sanding).
When the vestige is too damaged, he works directly on it by patching with plaster. It performs a plug or graft when parts are missing or too worn.
If there are no remains, the work begins with a search of archives, photos or drawings, in order to make a plaster model and the sculture will then be remade as new.
Once approved by the DRACC, the architect or the private owner, the stone sculture is cut directly. A crosshair can also be used to render an element as faithfully as possible when it is of great historical importance.