Trinity Columns return to Saint Peter’s
A trio of dramatic sculptural columns created by Louise Nevelson, entitled “Trinity” by the artist, were returned yesterday to Saint Peter’s Church, for which they were created. The Trinity Columns are now reinstalled within Nevelson’s complete sculptural environment, Chapel of the Good Shepherd (1977), a masterwork of monochromatic white, with striking gold leaf, that has captivated and inspired New Yorkers, commuters, tourists and art-lovers for decades.
In 2017, the works were temporarily removed for a comprehensive physical/mechanical renovation aimed at introducing appropriate humidity and temperature control for the benefit of the sculptures. After testing and treatment at an art conservator’s studio, the Columns were placed on view at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine.
Due to return in 2020, the Columns’ journey back to New York City was delayed by the onset and subsequent persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, on January 4, 2021, Saint Peter’s was inundated with hundreds of thousands of gallons of water after a City water main pipe ruptured on Lexington Avenue. While two-thirds of the church building was severely damaged or destroyed, Nevelson Chapel was entirely spared.
“This long-awaited reinstallation of Nevelson’s Trinity Columns is not simply a return home to Nevelson Chapel in New York City after receiving warm embrace and tender care from friends in Maine,” says The Rev. Jared R. Stahler, Senior Pastor of Saint Peter’s and Director of the campaign to restore Nevelson Chapel. “This is a revitalization, a renewal, a type of healing. Return and reinstallation is a step along a path which, with the pandemic, grew longer and more complex — and more painful — for us all. As our City seeks healing and new life, the Chapel is with us, and we are with the Chapel, along the way.”
The Trinity Columns are among the nine sculptural elements that constitute the full sculpture. Each of the Columns forms a triangle that measure approximately 64” long by 14” wide, and are hung beneath a skylight at the front of the Chapel. All material is wood and paint. Now that the Columns have been reinstalled and are acclimated to the Chapel’s renovated HVAC environment, their full restoration will be completed in situ by objects conservator Martha Singer and paintings conservator Jean Dommermuth.
Trinity Columns in Nevelson Chapel, February 10, 2022. Photo by Andrew Seng.
