A portrait of Martin Luther from 1852, painted by F. Keila, is one of the most important elements of the Church of Peace. Located in the center of the balustrade of the choir, over the years it has become less and less visible.
Its previous shape was the result of poor maintenance carried out a century ago; the frame was covered with gilt bronze and quickly darkened soon after. The surface of the painting was upholstered with glue and over the years a layer of mold appeared. On top of that, the original paint layer was also destroyed. During the current conservation treatment the additional layers of paint, poor quality gilding and ill-fated glue were removed. The painting was disinfected and varnished, as well as being supplemented with minor losses. Last but not least, the proper tension was also set on the canvas.
The original colours of the frame were unveiled following the removal of additional paint layers (using the made in “chipolin” painting technique from the XVII th century).
From the darkness, from the so-called colour magma, a new image has emerged – a more luminous, harmonizing one with the tones of the organ, altar and pulpit.
