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Condition
- The artwork was in very poor condition
- Three major tears had caused paint loss
- There was significant surface dirt and dust
- The varnish was discoloured
- Three previous tear repairs had madethe canvas unstable
- There watermarks on the verso (back)
Treatment
Before beginning the tear repair, the painting was brush vacuumed. Further gentle cleaning was undertaken using a smoke sponge to pick up ingrained dirt. An aqueous solution was used in the final stage of cleaning to remove any remaining dirt and help bring back the original colours. After cleaning, the following treatment steps were undertaken:
- Failing patch repairs on each tear were removed, along with any residual adhesives.
- Unstable areas were consolidated.
- Tears were realigned using the thread-by-thread method, and deformations across the artwork were humidified and flattened.
- Discoloured varnish was removed and a new conservation varnish layer added to create a barrier between the original artwork and the conservation treatment.
- Losses to the paint were then filled and in-painted
- A final layer of varnish was applied to brighten the overall appearance of the painting as it originally would have appeared.
Treatment outcomes
The reframed painting is now proudly back on display at the recently renovated Newcastle Art Gallery, it’s vibrant colours restored and the repairs almost invisible.
In the news
- Newcastle Art Gallery International Conservation Project video: https://newcastleartgallery.nsw.gov.au/videos/international-conservation-project
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Before treatment
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After treatment
