At 105 years old, one NYPL mural is finally getting a facelift.
A 27-by-33-foot mural located in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Ave. and 42nd St. is being restored after a 2015 inspection revealed that it had "sustained irreparable damage, loss of original paint, discoloration and unsophisticated overpaint" over its century-long lifespan, according to a press release.
The mural of the sky, which was painted by artist James Wall Finn, has adorned the ceiling of the building's Bill Blass Catalog Room since 1911. It will be recreated by EverGreene Architectural Arts, the release noted.
This isn't the first time EverGreene has worked with the Library's murals. In 1998, the group — which has restored, recreated or conserved art in sites like the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and the United Nations Building — recreated Finn's murals in the Library's Rose Main Reading Room, the release said.
Nearly two decades later, the group has returned to the Fifth Ave. location to complete their mission.
"Our goal as artists [is] to honor Finn’s concept," Bill Mensching, Director of Murals at EverGreene Architectural Arts said, "and complete the series of murals that are timeless in their clarity, movement and gradations of color.”
The $45,000 restoration — led by muralist Zinni Veshi — is ahead of schedule. The room will reopen in fall 2016, according to the release.
Below, watch a time-lapse of the painting in action:
