The "lost" Work of the Fourdinois House, Course, Conservation and Restoration of a 19th Century Classroom Stove

Abstract

At the Exposition universelle de Paris, 1855, the french ebaniste-sculpteur, Alexandre  G.  Fourdinois  exposes  for  the  first  time,  one  of  his  famous neo-renascence  works,  a cheminée.  A  monumental  piece  made  of  green  marble ornated by golden bronzes surmounted by a carved walnut woodwork, this piece was  considered  the  most  influent  of  the  exposition.  At  the  end  of that  century, this cheminée was  detected  at  Palácio  de  Marquês  da  Foz  in  Lisbon.  A  century later,  after  being  sold  and  considered  “lost”,  this  piece  was  acquired by  the Municipallity of Oeiras. The  deteriorated  state  of  conservation,  determined  an  intervention  at the level  of  the  surface  and  the  main  structure,  performed  by  FRESS. This  article aims to present the methods adopted during the conservation intervention.

After  being  restored  the Cheminée is  now  exposed  at  Palácio  Marques  de Pombal in Oeiras, its current owner.