The Rundāle Palace Museum has published the third volume of a monograph series about Rundāle Palace – ‘Rundāle Palace III. Restoration’. It was produced with the support of the Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation and the State Culture Capital Foundation. The author of the final volume, Imants Lancmanis, and co-author Lauma Lancmane, outline the restoration of Rundāle Palace from the 18th century to the present day, devoting special attention to the ambitious restoration cycle of the entire palace ensemble, which lasted from 1972 to 2014.
The first volume of the Rundāle Palace monograph series was published in 2015 and introduces the history of the palace. The second volume (2018) explores the palace as an object, inviting its readers on a virtual tour of the premises for a closer view. The third volume of the monograph series (2021) is dedicated to restoration of the palace ensemble.
The author of the book, Dr. art. h. c. Imants Lancmanis, details the course of restoration, since he was directly involved and present in all processes from the development of the renovation concept to the completion of interior restoration. The co-author of the book is Lauma Lancmane, a long-term employee of the Rundāle Palace Museum who has been involved in the restoration of the palace ensemble and park since 1975.
Imants Lancmanis concludes: ‘Now that the third and final volume of the monograph has been published, the reader can judge whether the tasks set in the restoration of the monument have been fulfilled and whether the Museum’s concept for restoring the Palace has been credible. In any case, on 24 May 2021, Rundāle Palace celebrated its 285th birthday not only with a completed restoration programme but also with a fulfilled principal task – to revive the summer residence of the Dukes of Courland and to fill the Palace with art objects no less worthy than the ducal collections of the time.’
The authors of the book begin with a historical overview – highlighting earlier efforts to preserve and restore the Palace. The chapter is intended as a chronicle of events, covering the period from the 18th century to 1964. In turn, the processes of conservation, restoration and reconstruction of the monument are discussed in several chapters according to the types of works. Each chapter starts with an overview of the restoration work in the respective field, describing the initial condition, the technologies used, the contractors, the progress and result of the work. It follows on with a description of separate rooms, highlighting the specifics of interior finish and the peculiarities of restoration works. Enclosed images trace the condition of the premises and finishing details before the restoration, during the work process and after their completion. Much attention is devoted to the interior design concept and its implementation, which formed a very important part of the Palace revival process. The volume also includes an overview of the park renovation works, the surrounding area and other buildings in the Palace ensemble.
Laura Lūse, Director of the Rundāle Palace Museum, expresses particular gratitude to the supporters: ‘With the generous support of the Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation, it was possible to complete restoration of the Palace interiors (2010–2014) and to present the achievements of many years of strenuous work in these publications. The Rundāle Palace Museum also received funding from the State Culture Capital Foundation to publish the final book in the series. The responsiveness of both foundations has allowed us to immortalise and make public an invaluable body of historical evidence.’
During the years of cooperation, the Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation supported large-scale restoration works and the organisation of conferences and scientific events, as well as the publication of monograph series. ‘It is indispensable that a historically significant body of documentation has been produced, in which Rundāle Palace, its history and restoration have been immortalised. I am certain that it will prove a valuable material for restorers and art historians, as well as for the public,’ says patron Ināra Tetereva.
The monograph ‘Rundāle Palace III. Restoration’ has been published in 1000 copies in Latvian with chapter summaries and image captions also in English. Artist of the publication – Inese Hofmane. The book is available to purchase from the Museum’s Ticket Office from 30 July.
The launch of the monograph coincided with the day when Imants Lancmanis, the former director of the Rundāle Palace Museum and the author of the book, celebrated a significant life anniversary. At the festive event, patron Ināra Tetereva presented Imants and Lauma Lancmanis with the highest award of the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation – the Foundation’s Badge of Honour. In his turn, Imants Lancmanis presented a special gift to the Rundāle Palace Museum – a series of three paintings ‘Easter Visions in Latvia’.
Shortly before Christmas 2016, an exhibition of one painting ‘The Question of Christ at Easter 2016’ opened at St. Peter’s Church in Riga. In 2019, its author Imants Lancmanis continued the theme by painting two more works, thus a three-part cycle emerged, revealing the two main moments of the mission of Jesus Christ – the establishment of Holy Communion and his death on the cross. All three paintings from the cycle ‘Easter Visions in Latvia’: ‘The Question of Christ at Easter 2016’; ‘The Bewilderment of Christ’s Disciple during the Supper’ and ‘The Apparent Presence of Christ’s Disciples on Mount Calvary’ – are now in the collection of Rundāle Palace Museum. ‘The desire to express in this theme the tangible, human and quotidian determined the artistic method, which is based on specific people in relevant outfits while the surrounding nature, trees, grass and flowers are photographic. This approach to painting characterises all three paintings. Christ’s message is eternal, universal, and transnational. For every nation and at any time, Christ is different, determined by the effort to connect his image and the environment of biblical events with the appreciation of local environment, so the type of characters, clothing and environment is not a coincidence,’ reflects Imants Lancmanis. It should be noted that in this cycle the artist has depicted his colleagues – employees of the Rundāle Palace Museum. The paintings are displayed in the Palace Stables along with other historical works of sacred art.
The publication of the book was supported by:
