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Conservation and restoration of Portrait of Thos. Panton, 1772, by Thomas Gainsborough
Posted: September 13, 2020The unlined portrait was torn and very fragile. There were layers of dirt and varnish distorting the colours and picture space of the painting. [case-study-gallery] -
The Restoration of ‘The Battle of Pharsalus’, a cassone panel, by Apollonio di Giovanni (c.1403-1489)
Posted: September 11, 2020‘The Battle of Pharsalus’ cassone panel, tempera, gold and silver on panel, 16 x 61 ⅞ inches (40.5 x 157.2 cm). The treatment involved retouching to correct areas of wear and unresolved old restoration, in order to improve the readability of the scene. External structural work was commissioned to remove an old cradle that was holding the panel under considerable tension. This restoration was carried out on behalf of a private collector. -
The Restoration of ‘Still Life of Flowers in a Glass Vase’ by Maria Van Oosterwyck (1630-1693)
Posted: September 11, 2020‘Still Life of Flowers in a Glass Vase’, ca. 1685, oil on canvas, 31 ¾ x 26 ¼ inches (79.5 x 66.5 cm). The project focussed on improving the legibility of the painting, as scattered light caused by elevated craquelure obscured details within the composition and was distracting to the eye. The painting was cleaned, relined, and losses were filled and retouched, before the work was varnished and re-presented in its frame. This restoration was carried out in advance of the painting’s acquisition by an American museum. -
The Restoration of ‘A Fête at Bermondsey’ by Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder (1520-1590)
Posted: September 11, 2020‘A Fête at Bermondsey’, oil on panel, 29 x 40 inches (73.8 x 99 cm). Previously attributed to Joris Hoefnagel. Treatment for this painting focused on consolidating areas of elevated craquelure, and integrating areas of wear through retouching to reunify the overall painting. The restoration was carried out for an English public collection, in collaboration with a research project on the attribution of the painting. -
Great Hall, Oriel Window. Hampton Court Palace.
Posted: September 9, 2020A restoration of the Oriel Window in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace. -
Old Public Record Office, Maughan Library, Chancery Lane
Posted: September 9, 2020In 2001 I was contacted by Donald Insall Architects on behalf of the Crown Estate to examine a stained glass window unearthed in the Rolls Chapel and to discuss the viability of conserving the window. Over a period of eight months the window, which depicts the coat of arms of George IV, was restored and subsequently reinstated in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II. -
Conservation and Restoration of Donald Judd Untitled Concrete
Posted: September 8, 2020To remove layers of restoration of the surface of the concrete in order to treat underlying problems and restore the artists intended surface finish. -
Brunel’s Thames Tunnel commemorative printed silk kerchief
Posted: September 5, 2020The printed silk kerchief, part of an archive of original designs of Brunel’s Thames Tunnel, commemorates the opening of the tunnel in 1843. The project involved removal of the very fragile and fragmentary silk panel from an old, acid mount, by removing scores of metal staples and degraded adhesive tape; followed by conservation treatment and re-mounting to make it sufficiently stable for storage, study and occasional display. Treatment also included the fabrication of a customised storage box. -
‘Tobias Healing the Blind Tobit’ by Valerio Castello (1650) from the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull. Oil on canvas. Conserved and restored with Art Fund support in 2017
Posted: September 2, 2020‘Tobias Healing the Blind Tobit’ by Valerio Castello (1650) from the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, Oil on canvas Conserved and restored with Art Fund support in 2017 When the painting arrived at the studio there was a heavy deposit of grey surface dust and dirt on the surface. The thick… -
‘The Dock Master’s Wife’ by unknown artist (c. 1870) from the Hull Maritime Musem. Oil on canvas. Conservation was carried out in 2019 and was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the ‘Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City’ (HYMC) project
Posted: September 2, 2020‘The Dock Master’s Wife’ by unknown artist (c. 1870) from the Hull Maritime Museum. Oil on canvas. Conservation was carried out in 2019 and was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the ‘Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City’ (HYMC) project. When the painting arrived at the conservation studio, there was a heavy surface dirt deposit on the front of the painting as well as several layers of very discoloured varnish. Some areas of ground and paint were flaking and unstable. The canvas had been severely torn in several places, most noticeably the large complex tear at the centre of the painting. This painting required painstaking cleaning and major structural treatment.