The work on the conservation of the four Baroque figures of Hercules and their carved pedestals, as well as making copies of them, has been completed. It was carried out as part of the “Restoration and protection of the symbol of the Polish cultural heritage – the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace in Wilanów” project.

The work started in July 2017 and was carried out over 17 months, until December 2018. All the Baroque figures and their carved pedestals have undergone comprehensive conservation. Technological copies were also made out of sandstone – which has technical and visual parameters comparable with the original material. During the conservation works, moulds of the originals were made and then used to make the plaster models. 3D scans of the sculptures and pedestals allowed for machine processing of stone blocks and removal of about 90% of excess material. The plaster models were used to make copies made by sculptors, graduates of the Faculty of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, specialising in “conservation of sculpture and architectural elements”.

These works were partially carried out in the conservation workshop, and partially on the grounds of the Museum – in the courtyard of the former Lanci House. They were divided into two main stages, with the conservation of two Hercules sculptures and their pedestals carried out during each one. After the moulding works their plaster models and then the replicas were created. The longest and most labour-intensive stage was making of copies carved in sandstone by talented conservators who are also sculptors. All copies have been marked so that they can be distinguished from the originals in the future, once they have been covered with a patina. Museum markings were carved in the lower parts of the compositions, at the back or on the side of the figures. After the completion of the work, the figures returned to the Sculpture Pavilion. The European Heritage Days, which took place on 8-9 September 2018, featured demonstrations of the art of sculpting copies in stone using the example of one of the figures. Visitors to the museum had the opportunity to see the process live and see how hard and difficult the sculptor’s work is, and what skills and tools are required. These were also activities promoting the project being carried out. Immediately prior to assembly, all copies of the Hercules sculptures and pedestals were covered with a layer of impregnant and locally colour-matched due to small differences in some parts of the sandstone deposit from which the material was extracted. In the last quarter of 2018, sculpting works were completed and all copies of the Hercules sculptures were installed on richly carved pedestals on the shore of Wilanowskie Lake. Tourists walking along the promenade can finally admire the sculptural decoration of the Baroque garden. The composition consisting of figures standing on pedestals in a layout designed by Gerard Ciołek, inspired by many years of historical research on development plans for Wilanów gardens, has been restored.