WhatsApp usAlthough Sheila Fell died young, her legacy continues in the British art world. Within our Cumbrian studio, we have restored many pieces by Fell. One of the most complex and notable came to us early in 2024 and went on to form part of a major retrospective at Tullie House. Below is the newly recovered, unfolded canvas dated approximately to 1979, in its deteriorating state prior to conservation work.
Born in Aspatria, Fell was artistically inspired by the landscape of her Cumbrian hometown. After studying at St Martin’s School Of Art in 1949, Fell became the youngest artist to exhibit in Beaux Arts Gallery, Bond Street at the age of 24.
The discovery
The untitled rural landscape was one of Sheila Fell’s final pieces. Painted in the late 1970s, it was in her studio at the time of her death. Although unfinished and unsigned, it has been well documented in the photographic portrait of the artist from the same era. The unfinished scene clearly maps out her intended composition and gives us a true insight into her methods.
Following Fell’s death, the painting was framed and glazed for display by her daughter Anna, but unfortunately, owing to its size, it ended up in an outbuilding for 40 years. This time in an outside shed resulted in severe damage to the painting.
Above: our conservator Sophie and director Chris assessing the painting in our Carlisle studio
The frame and original stretcher bars were impacted by ivy and mould and were so damaged that the canvas was removed from the support. At some point following this, the top 8cm of the canvas was cut off since it had been so badly damaged. Once removed from the support and frame, the painting was then unfortunately folded up and stored in a garage, assumed to be beyond repair.
The restoration
When our client first saw the painting and unfolded it, he was sure that it could be saved and brought it straight to our studio for assessment. The treatment was extremely complex and was split into four key stages: documentation, examination and analysis; stabilisation; cleaning; reintegration. This took place over several months and is one of the most intricate and time consuming pieces our studio has ever worked on. Every aspect was restored ethically, ensuring no alterations were made to Fell’s unfinished composition.
Above: details of the paint layer under microscope
The result allowed an artwork that might have otherwise been deemed as lost to continue as part of the artist’s collection and an important piece of Cumbria’s visual history. Not only is it able to return to display in a central museum, but it can also be sold in the future as a valuable piece of mid 20th century British art. Below is the result following the conservation treatments.
Following our conservator’s work, the painting was put on display at Tullie House Museum and Gallery. This formed part of the largest Sheila Fell retrospective in 30 years. A video and further information about our conservation work forms part of this major show.
The exhibition is ongoing until 16th March 2024. You can find out more about visiting Tullie House here.
Above: the painting being put on display at Tullie House for the Sheila Fell retrospective, photo credit Stuart Walker
Get in touch
If you have any questions about art restoration and conservation, please do not hesitate to get in touch. As part of our service we offer a nationwide collection and delivery service as well as information on worldwide shipping to our studio.
E-mail us via info@fineart-restoration.co.uk call 0207 112 7576 or fill in the form below.
