Libyan Sibyl Fresco - Howard Street, Bedford, UK
N 52° 08.223 W 000° 27.930
30U E 673449 N 5779311
This fresco, a copy of Michelangelo's Libyan Sibyl fresco in the Sistine Chapel, is on a building at the junction of Mill Street and Howard Street in Bedford. The BBC reported the completion of the fresco.
Waymark Code: WMQMH1
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/03/2016
Views: 2
The BBC News website reported:
Bedford coffee shop boasts Michelangelo fresco recreation.
A fresco painted on the side of a Bedford coffee house using an ancient artform may "last for a thousand years", the shop's owner claims.
Part of Michelangelo's Libyan Sibyl has been recreated on the outside wall of Frescoes in Mill Street.
Artist Iain Carstairs used pigment paint on lime plaster, a technique dating back to about 1500 BC.
Shop owner Kevin Kavanagh, said: "The building will fall down before it fades."
He said the piece, copied from a work on the ceiling of Rome's Sistine Chapel, took three months and approximately £12,000 to complete.
He added he was "delighted" with the result.
"Painting on lime with pigment paint gives it longevity, which is why you can see works of art around the world which have lasted for hundreds of years," he said.
"The lime plaster mix that you put on first, you could hit it with a sledgehammer and it wouldn't break."
The Frescoes' owner, who describes himself as a "bit of an art lover", regularly displays pieces from local artists in his shop.
Local people contributed to the cost but most of it came from Mr Kavanagh's own pocket.
He said it was his way of "adding to the culture of the town".
"It's had a tremendous impact locally and really taken off," said Mr Kavanagh.
"People have been amazed to see the incredible work that has gone into it and the final result certainly has the wow factor."
Artist Mr Carstairs said: "I hadn't realised how tricky it would be but I am very happy with the result and want to do some more."
There is a plaque on the wall that advises that the fresco was started 500 years to the day after the Sistine unveiling in 1512. The full wording on the plaque reads:
This fresco
of
Michelangelo's Libyan Sibyl
was created by
Iain Carstairs, painter
Jim Smith, plasterer
and the people of
Bedford
Begun October 31st 2012
500 years to the day after the Sistine unveiling
and completed January 1st, 2013
public fresco
The Bedford Network website tells us:
The fresco at Frescoes Coffee House is on the “tourist map of Bedford” and gets the paparazzi treatment, with people stopping to take photographs and ask how it came about.
So we asked Kevin Kavanagh, owner of Frescoes Coffee House to gives us the fresco low down and here it is………
Bedford artist Iain Carstairs and plasterer Jim Smith created the fresco, a life-sized replica of Michaelangelo’s “Libyan Sibyl” from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Work began in October 2012, 500 years to the day after the Sistine unveiling of Michaelangelo’s masterpiece.
The fresco art technique dates back to 1500 BC and Bedford’s fresco is thought to be the first of its kind in this country. The weather has a dramatic effect on the fresco with light reflecting on the pigments of paint. Take a look for yourself – see how the fresco changes with the weather but is always spectacular.
The fresco brought world-wide attention to Bedford when it was unveiled – and continues to create interest and praise in the art world.
Pop into Frescoes Coffee House to soak up the art exhibitions, listen to music, use free Wi-Fi and drink the best coffee you are likely to find anywhere.