When the Micklegate Street apartment’s kitchen was dismantled, renovation specialists first discovered it on the wall surface behind the kitchen cabinet.
The 1660s painting brings to life scenes from the Book of Emblems published by the poet Francis Quarles in 1635.
At first they thought it might be very old Victorian wallpaper, but then it became clear that the patterns were painted on the wall. It turns out that the wall is older than the parts of the building surrounding it.
Luke Budworth, the owner of the apartment, said they had previously noticed that part of the wall had been painted in an unusual way, but this was always explained by the fact that the apartment itself was in a somewhat dilapidated state, because the building had been damaged. They have been used for many different purposes over the previous centuries. They did not expect to make such an exciting discovery one day.
The mural came to light last year and since then every detail has been revealed. The apartment owner said that although he felt wonderful about having such a mural decorating his house,
Unfortunately, he did not receive the financial support to be able to professionally protect the composition of the 400-year-old artwork.
The only help he received from the Antiquities Authority was to cover the mural again to prevent it from being damaged. The problem was finally solved by printing a high-resolution copy of the image and placing it on the wall as a protective layer.
They also hope that the issue will attract the interest of researchers who want to include the frescoes in some kind of experimental conservation project. They also hope that other residents of Micklegate, which has several listed buildings, will have the benefit of the doubt that even the walls of their own apartments may be hiding similar treasures.
Cover image source: Getty Images
