Restoration

Art works over time inevitably perish sometimes that process is accelerated my environmental damage, poor restorations or neglect. The sections below describe the various processes involved when we say "restoration".

Before Restoration:

This painting was heavily overpainted and crudely filled. It had been patched on many occasions. These were removed prior the lining. There were at least four different hands that had 'restored' the painting.

After Restoration:
There were weaknesses in the original but I felt it was better to show them as the artist intended rather than try to 'improve' the drawing. After cleaning the damages were filled and retouched. The paint losses were retouched until the painting finally became whole again.

Lining

Lining is an essential part in the conservation of oil paintings on canvas. In time the original canvas perishes. This often becomes apparent, from the front, when a crack appears along the stretcher line. The canvas is prone to puncturing and small paint losses may appear.

Henry Moore A.R.A 'Off the Coast of Holland'

Example of picture damage causing the need for lining.

An example of a perished canvas having been punctured.

After Lining showing the supported damage with filler.

Cleaning

During cleaning old dirt and discoloured varnish is removed, it can also dissolve old restorations and fillers, preparing the work for further restoration and retouching.

Before Cleaning:
You can distinctly see the layers of dirt and discolouring of the varnish over time

During cleaning. This photo shows the distinctive layers of dirt and varnish.

After Cleaning:
See how the removal of the layers of dirt and varnish restore the colours to the paintings original state.

Painting after lining, cleaning,filling,retouching and varnishing.

Henry Moore A.R.A 'Off the Coast of Holland'

Here we have the picture from the previous section after lining and during the cleaning process.

Retouching

After a damaged painting has been lined, filled, and cleaned (as required), it is ready for retouching.

Canvas after lining ready for retouching

This painting originated in Iraq. It had been rolled up and later wet to 'improve' the dry looking surface. Both of these actions resulted in paint losses.

The painting was lined to a new canvas to stabilize the flaking paint and stretched to new stretcher bars.

The finished painting after cleaning, filling, retouching and varnishing.

Henry Moore A.R.A 'Off the Coast of Holland'

Here we have the painting from the previous sections after lining, cleaning, filling, retouching and varnishing.

Paper Conservation

Paper conservation involves preserving and restoring paper materials like documents, photographs, and artworks through techniques like deacidification, mending tears, filling losses, and cleaning surfaces while aiming to retain the materials' aesthetic and historical integrity.

Print with water and black mould damage.

This 'Snaffles' print had water and black mould damage as you can see from the picture on the left.
On the right you can see the artwork after treatment with the damages removed.

Print after treatment with damage removed.

Panel Restoration

This panel was damaged considerably in a fire, see how the paint has blistered and how some sections have become brittle and been lost.

Here we see the painting after the blisters have been laid, after cleaning and retouching.

Panel on arrival, with fire damage, causing blistering and missing paint.

Frame Repair

Old frames can be restored. We build up all missing ornamentation. The guilding is then matched to the existing finish. Keeping to the same principles of retouching that we apply to the paintings themselves - we do not want to cover up areas of existing gold leaf.

Damaged frame on arrival at the Art House

Frame after being cleaned and filling cracks and cavities

Frame after being reguilded, using the remnants of the original as guidance

Frame in the process of being re gold leafed

Here we have the frame during the process of applying new gold leaf.

The restored frame.