Restored 400-year-old paintings return to public view

Two 400-year-old paintings are once again on display to the public following the successful completion of a delicate and intricate restoration project.

The wall paintings, located in Herefordshire Council’s Black & White House Museum, relate to the Book of Genesis and the story involving Joseph and Pharaoh. It is believed they date to the late 16th century and derive from a series of four woodcuts, on the theme of the Joseph story, included in a book of biblical stories produced by Virgil Solis and first published in Nuremburg in 1562.

The paintings originally came from a house at No. 5 Widemarsh Street in Hereford where they were discovered in 1888. They were removed from their original location and installed in the Black & White House in 1947.

However, over the years, the paintings have inevitably suffered some deterioration, so conservators, Stephen Rickerby and Lisa Shekede, spent weeks carefully cleaning and repairing them. Among the priorities for the conservators was to stabilise the plaster that the paintings have been painted on to.

Grant aid was awarded from the Pilgrim Trust to cover the £10,000 cost.