Ceiling painting in the city hall of Den Bosch

In Den Bosch City Hall, the nearly three-hundred-year-old ceiling of the mayor's office has been cleaned and restored. Nicotine stains from cigar smoke and insect droppings have been removed, and both the woodwork and the 19th-century ceiling paintings have been carefully restored. Conservators from SRAL completed this meticulous job in six weeks.

Cleaning with care

“The cleaning was precision work,” says Lise Wolfert, conservator of historic interiors at SRAL. “After thorough research, we found the right method. The plain wooden parts could be cleaned with water and mild soap, but no more than twice, to prevent the underlying layers from coming loose. We did not use water on the painted parts, because they were much more sensitive.” The result is a ceiling that is visibly lighter, especially the wooden planks. Ronald Glaudemans, architectural historian for the municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch, explains that nicotine and insect droppings were the main causes of the contamination.

A ceiling that is three centuries old

The ceiling dates largely from 1744, when the mayor's chamber was redecorated in the Louis XIV style. Historical sources indicate that the ceiling was a different colour at that time. The current dark paint and gold leaf decorations with flowers and vines were probably added later, in the 19th century.

Cracks and holes

The SRAL conservators discovered numerous cracks in the paintings, caused by the shrinkage of the wooden planks since the installation of central heating in the town hall. These cracks made the paintings vulnerable; in some places, the decoration had even come loose. Conservators filled and glued these damages, using injection needles to apply the filler under the paintings. After retouching, the repairs are virtually invisible. The corners are painted on linen canvases, which have become wrinkled over time due to the tension between the linen and the wood. These wrinkles are stable and therefore not treated.

Rare heritage

The city hall of Den Bosch contains various rare interiors and works of art. Since 2023, restoration work has been taking place at various locations in the building. Works of art, such as paintings from the mayor's office and gilt leather wall coverings from the aldermen's office, are being restored in the SRAL workshop in Maastricht. The complete restoration of the interiors is expected to be completed in 2028. The municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch provides information about the progress of the restoration of the town hall on its official website:​​​​ Erfgoed 's-Hertogenbosch.