MEXICO CITY.- Six lineal meters of 17th century mural painting, found in early 2009 at El Carmen Ex Convent, in San Angel, Mexico City, were fully restored by National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), recovering the ochre tones and architectonic designs that characterize the Colonial building.

The painting that decorates the upper part of what once was the chapter house of the convent, which lodges an auditorium to present, was presented in July 14th 2009 by Alfredo Marin Gutierrez, director of El Carmen Museum, who explained that artwork was found during maintenance work.

While intervening the west wall of the former chapter house, painting rests were detected, which presented features that distinguished it as 17th century original.

“Ochre tones and golden hues can be observed, as well as architectonic designs that decorate the doorframe, which correspond to the original motives used by Carmelite order”, declared restorer Alfredo Marin. Intervention took place for nearly 4 months, attending mainly the 6 by 1.5 meters mural painting area.

The museum’s director described the stages of the intervention: first, probing wells were dug, and then different pictorial layers were liberated and meticulously cleaned.

The original pictorial layer was recovered using a solution, and a protective treatment was finally applied. Restorers Marin and Maria Luisa Franco leaded and trained the team that performed the intervention.

El Carmen Museum is located in Revolucion Avenue at Monasterio Street, San Angel, Mexico D.F. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00 hours. Admission fee is 41 MXP, but children under 13, senior citizens, teachers and students with valid ID do not pay. Mexicans and residents do not pay on Sundays.