From Soot to Shine: The Conservation of Westminster Cathedral’s Decorative Mosaics
At the request of Suzi Pendlebury (Surveyor to the Fabric), a site visit was conducted on 9 August 2023 to assess the cleaning and conservation of the decorative mosaics in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at Westminster Cathedral.
Following an initial assessment, the scope of the project was expanded to include cleaning the mosaics and marble finishes in the adjacent Chapel of the Sacred Heart.
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel, designed by Russian artist Boris Anrep and completed in 1962, features a progressive Biblical narrative that highlights the sacrifice of the Eucharist. The mosaics depict themes of wheat and vines, symbolising the bread and wine, with medallions on the altar rails representing the Passion of Christ.
In the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, the mosaics, originally installed in 1911-12, were replaced in 1916 due to deterioration. The condition assessment of both chapels found the mosaics generally stable, though some areas of loose tesserae were identified as cleaning progressed, particularly in the Sacred Heart Chapel. Sooty deposits from candles had discoloured the surfaces, with some areas heavily coated. Cleaning tests showed that both the mosaics and marble responded well, leading to a significant visual improvement. The cleaning and conservation work was completed between 9 September and 8 November 2024.
