The two Arnold Quellin statues were carved in the late 17th century by one of the finest sculptors of his time. The statues were not originally polychromed but numerous coats of paint, from limewash to grey plastic emulsion had been applied, resulting in loss of detail. The statues were moved from the Guildhall to the conservation workshops, the paint was carefully removed and carbon deposits cleaned. The broken finger and thumb of Charles II were replaced in Portland stone.
From Nicholas Stone's own notebook, now in the Soane Museum, London, we know that in 1623 Stone carved four statues for the Royal Exchange; Edward V, Richard III, and Henry VII for £25 each, and a figure of Queen Elizabeth I for £30. In the 1950's all the sculptures had been given a coat of grey-green oil paint as part of the restoration programme following the serious bomb damage to the Guildhall during World War II. The layer was removed under magnification using a number of solvents, as well as mechanical cleaning. An extremely interesting series of historic layers appeared beneath, which were recorded in detail.
Client: Corporation of London
