A remarkable Renaissance ceiling painting dating back to 1563 has been uncovered in a small supermarket in Lüneburg, Germany, where bags of chips had been stored for decades. The artwork, which was initially discovered in the 1970s but subsequently covered up, is now being carefully restored by professional conservators working from scaffolding and will soon adorn a new bakery.
"This ceiling painting is something very special, it is executed with very good quality," explained restaurateur Markus Tillwick, who is leading the restoration team. Lüneburg possesses a great treasure of ceiling paintings, though many are located in private spaces and not accessible to the public. The city's rich collection of such artworks stems from its unique historical preservation.
Heike Düselder, Director of the Lüneburg Museum, confirmed that such discoveries are not unusual for the city. "We are an undestroyed city with much building substance from the 16th and 17th centuries," she noted. "Whenever renovations take place, it happens that something new is discovered." The historical brick house structure has been remarkably well preserved, having never experienced a large-scale city fire or destruction during both World Wars, which spared the old town from the devastation that befell many German cities.
The artwork is particularly noteworthy for both its exceptional quality and excellent state of preservation as a typical Renaissance painting. Düselder expressed great joy that the masterpiece is finally being uncovered and restored. Working alongside his wife and a colleague, Tillwick's team is carefully uncovering the 1563 artwork and cleaning it of accumulated dust and debris.
Intriguingly, the artist remains unknown, though the initials "AK" are visible on the painting. The presence of both the year and the artist's monogram is extraordinarily rare for 16th-century works. "We still don't know who that was," Tillwick admitted. During that historical period, ceiling painting would not have been considered artwork but rather decoration, and the concept of "artist" as we understand it today did not yet exist. Instead, painting businesses undertook such decorative work as part of their regular services.
The painting depicts Christian virtues including Faith, Hope, and Charity, along with the classical virtues of Fortitude, Temperance, Justice, and Prudence. Additionally, the virtue of Patience has been incorporated into the composition, creating a comprehensive moral allegory typical of Renaissance decorative schemes.
The existence of this remarkable painting has been known since renovation work in the 1970s, when it was discovered and then sealed according to the building owner. This decision to cover it proved fortuitous, as it allowed the artwork to be preserved in excellent condition for proper restoration decades later. The restoration work is expected to be completed within approximately five weeks, after which the space will be converted into a bakery.
Special precautions are being taken to protect the precious artwork from potential damage. To prevent the historical painting from being harmed by steam and vapors from food preparation, the bakery's kitchen will be equipped with extra protection directed upward toward the ceiling.
"It was a long thought process, do we have to show it, do we want to show it," reported Ernst-Joachim Petersen, owner of the property on Sande Street. After careful consideration, he has decided to make this cultural treasure accessible to the public. Petersen expressed his anticipation for next year, when he looks forward to enjoying a cup of coffee while contemplating the finished artwork in its new setting as a bakery's extraordinary ceiling decoration.
