Over the microscope
How 21st century technology is helping our researchers unlock the secrets of a 17th century masterpiece
High hopes
I first came here in 2016. It wowed me then and it does the same every time I come here now. Researching its history and how it was created has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Dr Péter Bokody
Associate Professor of Art History
Péter is not alone in his admiration of this space. But to put what he is saying in some context, we’re standing in the Long Gallery at Lanhydrock House. Now managed by the National Trust, the country estate in Bodmin, Cornwall has been owned by the Robartes family since the 1620s. Much of the property visible today – its imposing façade, its impressive gatehouse – date from the Victorian era, rebuilt following a devastating fire in 1881.
The only room in the house not affected by that fire, the Long Gallery, is much older. One entrance to this wing of the property bears the date 1636. And the University’s research suggests the 35 metres of barrel-vaulted plasterwork that adorns the room’s ceiling followed shortly after. Created – it is believed – between 1639 and 1642, it features 24 panels that transcend the book of Genesis, from Adam and Eve through Abraham and Jacob, and the story of David and Goliath.
Péter says: “In terms of our cultural heritage, the ceiling is a fascinating visual experience of local and global significance. Anyone visiting it can appreciate its beauty. But it will also leave them with questions. Who made it? How was it made? We are now much closer to having those answers.”
The project will use cutting-edge 3D laser scanning to reveal the plasterwork in unprecedented detail – various designs make up part of the 17th century plaster ceiling
This increased understanding has been made possible through an ongoing collaboration between the University and the National Trust. The Trust has undertaken an ambitious project to give the ceiling the first full restoration in its long history. For its part, experts in art history and digital technologies from the University then used 21st century technology to record and analyse the 17th century artistry.
With scaffolding erected in the Long Gallery, and funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, they have used 3D laser scanning technology to map every millimetre of the ceiling. Combining that with photographs of every feature during the restoration process has enabled them to build an unprecedented digital record of this iconic installation.
“Over the course of our trips to Lanhydrock, our laser scans have generated half a billion data points,” says
Mr Musaab Garghouti
, Lecturer in 3D Visualisation, Immersion and Simulation. “It means we have precise measurements as to where each individual feature sits within the wider piece, and can take people on a journey of how the ceiling sits within the property as a whole.”
A full laser scan of the Long Gallery can be completed in just 20 minutes. But it has enabled the researchers, and the National Trust, to take a four-century journey back in time. Mapping the digital record of the Lanhydrock ceiling against others across Devon and Cornwall has enabled them to confirm, almost beyond doubt, the craftsmen responsible for it. They also believe certain images were likely designed to mimic compositions by the leading renaissance artist, Raphael, in the Vatican.
Going even further, they also think it likely the ceiling was created without moulds but using string or ropes to precisely measure each panel.
“However you look at it, this is a masterpiece,” says Péter. “We think the same team – from the Abbotts workshop in Barnstaple – were also behind two ceilings in that town, and another near Padstow in Cornwall. Establishing that for certain is our next goal.”
Staying in Lanhydrock, the scanning project will have other benefits. While a number of repairs have been made during the course of the recent restoration, the age of the ceiling – and the materials used in its construction – mean there is the distinct possibility it will need further remedial work in the future. The University’s digital record will ensure any such work can be carried out sensitively – and very precisely.
But perhaps more critically, it will provide a means to reconnect contemporary audiences to this highly significant site of Cornish cultural heritage. The idea of creating 3D immersive displays around the property aims to enhance access to the ceiling. And reinterpreting the visual material provides pathways to the understanding of the imagery for broader audiences.
“Thousands of people enter the Long Gallery every year,” adds
Mr Peter Quinn Davis
, Associate Head of the School of Art, Design and Architecture. “But some may struggle to look up at its features, or to see them in great detail. A 3D model of the ceiling which will enable people to see it more easily, and even touch its features. The digital record we have created will mean it can be seen by anyone, anywhere in the world.”
Part of the project team interpreting the intricate narrative designs
This project will offer new insights in establishing the ceiling’s international importance
Faye Rason has worked as a collections officer at Lanhydrock House for 25 years. For her, seeing the Long Gallery ceiling is a daily occurrence. But it’s clear that she and her colleagues – much like the University team – appreciate its importance:
“There's something about this room that's really special. It’s our biggest room, and the only one connecting us to our past. To think that it was done 400 years ago, it's just crazy. The University’s work here is going to open up a lot of conversations, among staff and visitors. You can see amazing detail in the scans, and for people to be able to understand more about the ceiling and how it was made will change people’s appreciation of it.
To have that digital record of care for monitoring purposes will also enable us to refer back to the scanned images if there's something concerning us. I am now just excited to see what people think when they see it in its full glory once again.”
Lanhydrock House based in Bodmin
The Long Gallery in Lanhydrock House
The project team