Saint‑Denis Restorations: Loss, Repair, and Ethics

Revolutionary iconoclasm altered sculpture and tombs. Later campaigns sought legibility over total reconstruction, balancing memory with evidence. Conservation is a critical practice of care and truthfulness.

Phases of Intervention

• Emergency stabilization: Securing structure and artworks.
• Reassembly: Anastylosis with documented fragments.
• Cleaning: Pollutant removal with gentle methods.

🛠️ Methods & Debates

• Anastylosis: Reassembling with original fragments.
• Reversibility: Interventions that can be undone.
• Documentation: Drawings and photogrammetry for transparency.
• Ethics: Balance authenticity, readability, and risk.

Conservation is careful reading of time.