In April 1775, an American silversmith, military officer, and industrialist by the name of Paul Revere took a frantic and brave midnight ride through Boston announcing the arrival of British troops at the onset of the American Revolutionary War.
Riding past homes and buildings during his vigilant role to alert military forces of the British army's approach, Revere and his trusted steed blazed into the night, while two lanterns burned brightly from the steeple of the Old North Church at Boston's North End, seemingly lighting his way.
The Old North Church, in present-day, is not only a popular congregation for parishioners, it's also a popular tourist destination made famous by Paul Revere's midnight ride. Now, historians and conservators have peeled back years and layers of paint on the walls of the historical church, revealing 300-year-old paintings of cherub angels that have stayed hidden from the public eye through centuries of war and peace.
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Graceful and Joyful Cherub Angels Come to Life Under Curators' Careful Restoration
Determining where and locating the angels was easier than what conservators faced once they discovered where they were. A historical record and contract signed by artist and congregation member, John Gibbs, was the clue the curators needed to locate the angels in the Old North Church.
"When we first looked at the project six months ago, we had no idea what was here," Conservator, Gianfranco Pocobene said as the oldest church building in Boston, was preparing to remove the scaffolding earlier this month to reveal eight of the 20 painted-over angels.
"It's really been quite a revelation to find these really interesting and historic works of art on the walls of the church that nobody has seen in our lifetime," he continued. "Just to be part of a project where we are revealing something from colonial America is really extraordinary."
Painstakingly removing seven layers of paint that had covered the walls for centuries proved more challenging, but with each careful and methodical move of the hand, curators were able to uncover eight of the 20 angels hidden from view, estimating they had been painted on the church walls around 1730.
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Conservators Work Tirelessly To Restore Angel Paintings Ahead of the 250th Anniversary of Revere's Midnight Ride
With round faces and gentle smiles, the paintings of the cherub angels' faces began to come to life under the careful restoration work of the curators, each unique in their own expression, removing the paint carefully so as not to damage the original paintings of the angels.
"They all have their own character -- they're not copies," Pocobene, who has his own studio in Lawrence, Massachusetts, said. "The artist John Gibbs painted them individually and they're all in different poses, which gives them a really wonderful rhythmic kind of pattern across the surface of the church."
Curators will continue to work on bringing all 20 angels to the surface in hopes of having them all restored before the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere's midnight ride in April 2025. They hope to return parts of the church to its formal glory back in 1775, revealing its true beauty and history to tourists who come to see the famous church that unknowingly aided Paul Revere in the American Revolutionary War.