The biggest threat to the Capitol’s fine art? Those catered hors d’oeuvres

The large paintings in the Capitol Rotunda have withstood damage from millions of visitors and more than 100 years of harsh smoke and light pollution. But the biggest and most unexpected threat to these and other valuable works isn’t hordes of visiting schoolchildren; it’s Capitol parties.

According to Architect of the Capitol (AoC) Stephen Ayers, cooking oils from food preparation during catered events are likely the most damaging elements to the paintings and frescoes in the building.

{mosads}“It’s the Sterno that’s heating your chafing dish of chicken that has oils in it that begin to kind of atomize as it heats and goes up,” he told The Hill. “Those products that get in the air [then] fall on every surface.”

It isn’t so much the oils themselves that pose the problem. It’s the dust and debris that stick to the oil and adhere to the paintings that prove detrimental, AoC spokeswoman Eva Malecki said.

“It’s just like when you’re cooking at home and something splatters from your frying pan,” she said. “Yes, the oil gets on and you can wipe it off, but it’s the residue that everything else sticks to.”

To combat the damage, the AoC routinely cleans the large artworks in the rotunda and works to reduce the amount of on-site cooking required during events.

But oil isn’t the only enemy to Congress’s fine art. According to Senate Curator Diane Skvarla, Capitol artworks are also under siege from such threats as steam, coffee and soda.

Skvarla offered the portrait of former Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.) in the Mansfield Room as one such example. 

“Because of the way the catering was in that space, they were too often putting tables underneath with hot items that would create steam … and we started seeing splatters on the painting and on the frame,” she said.

A wooden barrier was eventually erected around the painting after catering staff repeatedly ignored warnings against putting tables nearby.

Skvarla’s office has also had to permanently move Capitol artworks if a temporary solution didn’t do the trick. She said it’s all part of being a “working museum.”

Curators proactively avoid sticky situations by performing daily, weekly and monthly rounds of certain spaces. They also look in on every big event to make sure artwork isn’t in jeopardy.

But by far the most dangerous time for Capitol art is the happiest time of year for many Americans: Christmas.

To get lawmakers and staff in the holiday spirit, rooms and offices within the Capitol are decorated with greenery that drips sap onto gilded frames. Christmas trees also pose a threat if placed too close to paintings, and staffers are warned to keep them at a distance.

But even with so many precautions, Capitol artworks still require significant repair by professional conservators, Skvarla said. It’s a necessity, because “senators don’t want to see damaged artwork hanging there.”