Murals and Paintings 

The Murals and Paintings created By Conrad Schmitt 

Written by: Conrad Schmitt Studios

Historically, master works of the Italian High Renaissance were not transportable paintings, but were completed entirely on-site, permanently fused to the building’s structure. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling in the Vatican is a famous example of this large-scale approach, is created in fresco. Fresco painting makes use of a plastered wall as a base in either wet (buon fresco) or dry (fresco secco) states. While Conrad Schmitt Studios, Inc. has cared for frescos through historic preservation, CSS artists make use of canvas to create transportable paintings in acrylic that are painted in the studio and later installed on-site once completed, saving time and cost.

The recent work by CSS at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana features a series of circular murals consisting of six multi-figural scenes on the ceiling and seventeen portrait medallions. Digital renderings of these naturalistic figures established the layout, while serving as a reference for mural painters to isolate colors and finalize the composition. Physical sketches, thumbnails, and studies are also created by the muralists to further develop the desired imagery. Once the client approves the design, CSS artists stretch large sections of canvas on the studio walls and prime with gesso. While excess canvas is eventually cut away to shape the image, the space outside serves useful for artists to create color notes.

The mural progress documented here shows a scene from the life of Christ: the finding of Jesus in the temple as a young boy. At this stage, the artist is applying thin layers of color over a monochromatic underpainting. Like a “cartoon” in the process of fabricating a new stained glass window, an underpainting serves as a guide for an artist to accurately place values. Once the artist has modeled the figures and background in a monochromatic palette (often in earth tones such as umber or sienna along with white and black), color is layered through scumbling to expose the darks and lights of the layer underneath. Subsequent layers become thicker, creating a solid, even coating of paint on the surface. Finishing textures and fine details allow for the image to come alive, making the figures look as if they could walk right out of the painting.

With these works placed high in the church, visitors won’t have the same viewing experience as CSS artists who see these paintings up close. Michaelangelo dealt with the same issue of scale as he needed to render figures large enough for maximum readability for viewers below. Like the Renaissance technicians of the past, Conrad Schmitt Studios, Inc. uses historical imagery in naturalistic forms, while making use of modern materials, such as acrylic paints. These established practices ensure stable and beautiful imagery for generations to come.

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