LAC+USC - Ballin (Medical Sciences) Fresco Conservation

Project Description

The ceiling fresco titled Medical Sciences by artist Hugo Ballin (1879-1956), in the vestibule of the historic general hospital at the LAC + USC Medical Center, is one of the oldest and most significant artworks in the County’s Civic Art Collection. It was completed in 1932 during the construction of the hospital. The fresco was in poor condition due to old water damage and the technique by which it was painted. Ballin is well known for the murals he created for many prominent buildings including the Los Angeles Times Building, Wilshire Temple, Burbank City Hall and the Griffith Park Observatory, but the LAC + USC Medical Center mural is unique in that it is the only true fresco Ballin painted in Los Angeles. For this reason, special condition issues needed to be addressed in order to prevent the mural from further deterioration and eventual disappearance.