The present Basilica of the Sacred Heart building in Hanover, PA was first constructed in 1787. Over the last 200+ years, the church has undergone building additions and multiple interior paint schemes. In the later half of the twentieth century, the ornate interior decoration was completely overpainted and many of the murals were significantly altered as a result of unsuccessful restoration attempts.
The artwork in the church is a combination of many talented artists and the pieces date to different points in the building’s history. The oldest artwork in the church, at the nave ceiling, is attributed to Gebhart (Goeppert) of Philadelphia. As the church expanded to its current size, to extend the apse, add the transepts, and a circular, oculus-like section at the crossing, Franz Stecher, an Austrian painter from Nauders (1814-1853), was commissioned several works to match stylistically with the existing Gebhart paintings of the Assumption and Four Evangelists on the nave ceiling.
The majority of the artwork at the Basilica is the work of Stecher, who completed these commissions during an extended stay in America. It was his last major commission. Stecher died shortly after the Sacred Heart project was completed. Three of Stecher’s paintings illustrate the Most Holy Trinity; they are located in the center area meant to resemble an oculus and transept ceilings. The apse back wall once featured a large mural of the Last Supper; however, due to sustained damages, this mural was replaced in 1887 by a commissioned piece by Filippo Costaggini. The apse ceiling depicts Stecher’s Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament replete with adoring angels.
During the 2022-2023 Interior Restoration Project, Canning Liturgical Arts performed extensive conservation efforts on many of these murals in order to retain the historic integrity of the original artists. The interior decoration surrounding the artwork was also restored to the 1887 scheme devised by Lorenzo C. Scattaglia of Philadelphia.
On the far walls of the north and south transepts are mirrored murals of the Nativity and Crucifixion. Stecher also completed a painting of the Death of Saint Francis Xavier at the south side altar and painted Stations of the Cross [replaced by framed relief Stations in 1901].
Most of the figures in all the paintings were heavily overpainted. The overpaint was removed and the original hand of the artist was conserved as much as possible. The backgrounds, framing and surrounding decoration of the transept wall murals were completely painted over. Through a process of paint exposures and conservation, with replication where necessary, the decoration was restored.
