Nautical Mural Sails Back to Met

NEW YORK—All 56 panels of The History of Navigation, a gilded-glass mural that graced the interior of the ocean liner the Normandie in the 1930s, are going on display together for the first time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reports the New York Times. Parts of the mural had previously been displayed in the Met's first-floor restaurant until 2002, when it was closed due to the expansion of the Greek and Roman galleries.

The Art Deco mural was designed by fashion illustrator Jean Dupas and manufactured by Charles Champigneulle in 1934. Fashioned by the technique verre églomisé, which involves reverse-painting, the work also contained gold, silver, and palladium leaf. The stories described in the mural feature serpents, mythical creatures, majestic ships, and wavelike patterns.

The ocean liner Normandie, which regularly sailed between France and New York from 1935 to 1939, was commandeered by the United States during World War II. A fire broke out while decorations were being stripped from the vessel, and water pumped into the ship caused it to capsize. The mural had been removed before the fire, but did show signs of normal wear and tear. A restoration team at the Met has been repairing the work piece by piece.