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The Hopelands building is replete with beautifully hand-carved and intricate architectural details. From wainscoting, to balustrades, the building is filled with wonderful examples of the Colonial Revival style introduced to the structure by Moses Brown Ives Goddard in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Of the many decorative and architectural "touches," none is as impressive as the panoramic wall mural created by artist P. T. Zurcher for Mr. Goddard in 1895.
As part of the many updates to the property, Moses Brown Ives Goddard commissioned artist P.T. Zurcher to paint the interior walls of the formal parlor. Little is known about the artist, P.T. Zurcher. He is believed to have been a German painter, and it is known that he painted works in at least one other building located in Providence in June of 1897. The mural is much smaller (see image right, courtesy of Jeremy Fisher, Brown University), but it is similar in style and subject matter to the Hopelands mural.
Much of the credit for what is known about the mural, as well as its restoration in 1997, are James Young III, Alum and Head of School from 1995 to 2012 and his wife Jama Young. Without their passion for the school and the history of its campus, including the Hopelands building, it is quite possible that many of the property's architectural features and history would have been lost.
As part of its research and efforts to raise funds for the restoration in 1997, the school created a eloquent description of the mural, "The Heritage of Hopelands," used to educate its many constituencies of the mural's historic significance.:
The artist, P.T. Zurcher, painted a panoramic mural of the surrounding property, executed as though one were viewing the grounds from the middle of the room-a room without walls. The mural depicts a scenic tract of land overlooking the Greene/Potowomut River and Narragansett Bay-the way it looked in 1896. Scattered over the lawns and fields are wild turkeys, cattle, sheep, beautiful stone walls, and stone statues. Along the river and out in the bay are three-masted sailing ships which marked this time period. A dirt road under an archway of magnificent trees enters the property from the same direction as it does today. The landscape may be a step back in time, but it is still recognizable.
This mural also possesses a secret. According to a story associated with the mural, the artist overstayed his welcome and Mr. Goddard pushed him to complete the mural, irritating Mr. Zurcher. In response, one of the last things the annoyed artist did before leaving Hopelands, was to paint the face of his employer on one of the sheep. Look for yourself. To the right of the fireplace, there is, indeed, a man's face on one of the sheep.
-The Heritage of Hopelands
One newer observation made by the school's current Arts Department Chair and teacher, Megan Getsinger, is a very obvious broken branch dangling from one of the trees depicted in the mural. Historically, a broken tree, or a broken branch, symbolizes death, or more specifically a life cut short. This symbolism is usually used on gravestones to signify someone who died an untimely or premature death. Interestingly, Moses Brown Ives Goddard was born as a twin, with his twin brother having not survived childhood. One can't help but speculate that this was Mr. Goddard's way of subtly paying homage to the brother he never knew.
The restoration process was quite complicated and including researching and interviewing countless experts in the field of the Conservation of Art and Artifacts. Photomicrographs as well as Ultraviolet fluorescent photos were taken and studied. Chemical analysis was also conducted as were overall environmental conditions of the space. Conservator, Joseph T. Matteis, Jr. was selected to complete the restoration. Mr. Matteis had recently completed a project at the Holmes School in Darien, Connecticut and was familiar with the unique challenges of a preservation/restoration project at a school presented. In a written reflection of the restoration project completed by Mr. Matteis, the restoration process and its challenges are clearly chronicled.
Removal of an oily film once used to improve the appearance of a wall painting.
Filling: being sure to only fill the actual crack and not the mural on either side of the crack.
Inpainting: a process of adding paint in layers so as to not obscure or change the artist's original work
Over the period of two years, The Youngs and countless other dedicated people, a painstaking study and restoration of the mural was completed. The school celebrated the occasion with a play performed by lower school students that shared the history of both the school and the Hopelands estate.
Today, the Hopelands mural's bright colors and clear images not only creates the sense of being outside on the beautiful grounds, but also serves as a permanent reminder of what the land once looked like, how it was used, and the importance of preserving our history.
Scroll through to view photos. You may click on an individual image for more details
Scroll through to view photos. You may click on an individual image for more details
Click on the image below for an moveable panorama of the full mural
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