The painting of Our Lady of Ransom mounted at the altar of the Vallarpadam Basilica is perhaps as famed as the Basilica itself that attracts thousands of devotees and tourists from far and wide.
Dating back to over 500 years with Portuguese origins, the painting was subjected to a conservation work that lasted seven days and was spearheaded by art and architect conservator Satyajith Ibn and Sruthi Halghoker, conservator from Pune. This was among the first attempts to revive the unique heritage left behind by the Portuguese and the Spaniards during the 1500s.
The conservation was necessitated by the alarming deteriorations to the painting, which was directly executed on wood with a shallow base. It was done to halt the deterioration and revive the original paint layer hidden beneath layers of superficial depositions, varnish, and overpaints.
“We have no previous documented conservation works of the painting,” said U.T. Paul of Vallarpadam History Commission. However, the just concluded conservation project has thrown up evidence of past restoration works.
“I use certain solvents and chemicals which activated the new additions alone without in any way affecting the original materials. This shows that previous works may have gone undocumented,” said Mr. Ibn.
A work made of organic materials, the structural fabric of the painting originally featuring Virgin Mary and Jesus was found to have undergone several changes since it had to adapt to the tropical climate here unlike Lisbon where it was originally made in 1524. The images of Meenakshi Amma and son were believed to have been added to the painting in 1752.
The legend has it that the mother-son duo was caught in a capsized boat during a heavy storm and the mother prayed to Vallarpadathamma, as the deity is known, vowing to be her slave for the rest of their lives. She is said to have had a special vision of Our Lady of Ransom and was miraculously saved after three days.
“This validates the vernacular setting of the painting and makes it more than a part of Western history alone but of regional history as well,” said Mr. Ibn.
The church was destroyed and the painting was washed away during the flood in 1676. It was retrieved by Paliyath Valiyachan, the Prime Minister of the then Kingdom of Cochin who then returned it along with a land for building a new church.
Conservation, Mr. Ibn said, is scientifically valid when done by adopting measures to preserve the identity of the original work. “I am a conservator from the 21st century. My work should not be part of the old work or modify it. I have no right to take away the authenticity of the work. I have prolonged the life of the painting whereby it need not have to be touched for long years,” Mr. Ibn said.
He has also set definite post-conservation guidelines setting the limits for the changes and additions to the painting besides controlling the damage from its surroundings.
