“Imagine our astonishment when we first saw frescoes from the 8th century by the light of a lantern in the dark roof space” wrote Joseph Zemp in 1928 to his research colleague Robert Durrer. The two art historians instigated a precise inventory of the frescoes; the publication of their work brought this unique artistic and historical treasure to the attention of the world.
The frescoes in the roof space were removed using strappo technique and taken to the National Museum in Zurich. Previously though, they were recorded photographically by Joseph Zemp and by both researchers in watercolour paintings to a scale of 1:4.
Joseph Zemp and Robert Durrer's publication "Das Kloster St. Johann zu Münster in Graubünden (Geneva 1906-1910) is extremely useful to those carrying out research work today.
