JEDDAH, 12 April 2003 — Many of Jeddah’s justly famous monuments and sculptures are undergoing a cleaning and restoration program.
The integration of internationally famous works of art into the municipal fabric of Jeddah was the idea of Mohammed Al-Farsi, Mayor of Jeddah in the late 1980’s. Joan Mir?, the Spanish surrealist, and Henry Moore are among the many giants of the art world represented in the open-air museum on Jeddah’s Corniche.
Some of the monuments, like the Mamluk Minarets on the Balad roundabout on Madinah Road have been restored to their gleaming original form, brass and copper brightened and lacquered against the elements.
Others have simply been repainted. Some, however, have been painted when they should not have been painted at all.
The monumental bronze sculptures of Mir? and Moore were designed to withstand the weather and take on a patina contributed by the elements. The weathering and contact with people viewing the pieces is part of the process that changes the appearance of the bronzes while their structure remains the same. It builds up a patina over years, and the removal of that patina frequently degrades the artistic and financial value of the piece.
Moore, for example, in creating the bronze “Large Spindle Piece,” was exploring the opposing yet connected ideas of protection and intrusion and balancing one against the other in the massive bronze. The theme was continued in the contradictory ideas of weathering and structural solidity. While the weathering alters the appearance of the bronze naturally, the structure remains essentially the same, indicating continuity.
In an effort to restore the sculptures, much of the patina caused by weathering and the golden bronze beneath revealed by constant touching by visitors has been concealed under a layer of bronze-speckled brown paint.
“Sometimes works of art should be left alone,” said Charles K. Steiner, associate director of the art Museum at Princeton University. “It’s not always wise to conserve a piece of art.”
