The "Wall of Demons" in Norway turned out to be a fake

The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research reported on a sensational fake — it turned out to be a "Wall of Demons". It turned out that the frescoes on the altar arch in the Sauherad Church, which were previously dated to the 17th century, were made in 1940. In the same year, the discovery of the" Demon Wall " in the south-east of Norway made a splash. These frescoes did not fit into the local historical context in any way.

Scientists said that their author could be the head of the restoration work himself — Gerhard Gotaas. As a result of his work in 1940-41, the church became famous not only in Norway, but also abroad.

A mural adorns the western wall. According to art historian Elizabeth Andersen, if you don't look closely, it may seem like just a cloud, but you can see the details if you take binoculars or climb the stairs to it.

Gotaas claimed that he restored the fresco from scratches and faded areas. Modern equipment using ultraviolet radiation showed that he did not carry out these works. According to the co-author of the work, Susanna Kaun, there were no scratches and cuts on the wall, there were no demons on the original traces. On the wall of the arch there were remnants of the 17th century decoration, which were then painted over by Gotaas.

Scientists have had suspicions about this for a long time, because the fresco is too well preserved. It took several years to confirm the hypothesis. Andersen noted that scientists assumed that many things were drawn, but did not suspect the real scope of the fake.

Kaun noted that the restorer in this case painted the decor himself, and then claimed that he found it and restored it — and this contradicts the principles of restoration.