When an oil painting has issues with its paint layer, it can give the painting a very unsightly appearance. Such issues are very common for oil paintings, and every week we treat artworks which have problems with the paint layer. It can be very distressing for art collectors to see such issues occurring – especially… Read more »
Accidental damage to oil paintings comes in many forms; spillages and stains on artworks are very common and can happen so easily. For many of our clients, the damage is not of their own doing but has instead happened while renting out their home or while work has taken place. Examples of substances we have… Read more »
We enjoy answering many different questions from our clients and those interested in restoration. After all, it’s a fascinating field to be involved in and we like being able to share our expertise. One question we have been asked recently is whether surface cleaning an oil painting will cause damage. This is an understandable concern… Read more »
While contemporary artworks are susceptible to all of the same damage as older paintings, they can also incur specific problems due to being new artworks, and after being crafted using modern techniques and materials. It is still wholly possible to treat issues with contemporary paintings for a range of ailments, such as repairing tears and… Read more »
It can sometimes seem very obvious why an artwork needs restoration. If a painting has a tear, you know it needs repaired. Or if an artwork is so dirty you can no longer see specific details, you know it needs cleaned. This is indeed correct, but when a painting arrives into our studio, instead of… Read more »
Every painting we work on in the studio has a unique identity. Whether it’s a signature we find while cleaning, an interesting note on the back of the canvas, or a clear sign of where part of an artwork has been painted over, there is always something of interest that tells the story of a… Read more »
Last week, we received an urgent email from one of our clients. Their painting had been stored in a cardboard box, waiting to be unpacked when an accident left flooding in their home. The cardboard understandably did nothing to protect the artworks, and our client was very distressed. So what should you do if your… Read more »
When an oil painting becomes water damaged, its appearance can change dramatically. This was especially true for Mrs Pownall’s family painting after it was damaged by a flood through a ceiling, while being stored under a bed. Before the water damage occurred, there was some discolouration on the sitter’s face, which can most likely be… Read more »
Every painting has a history, from an artwork’s origins to its current condition, paintings are often passed between art collectors and family members. Understandably, some paintings have a more turbulent conservation history than others. There can be clear signs of what that history has been and whether a painting has ever undergone past restoration. Such… Read more »
When Mr Stoddart’s painting first arrived in the studio, our conservators knew that something very special could be achieved through restoration. The painting was inherited from Mr Stoddart’s father in law and had been hanging for some time on the wall above an open fire. Due to the condition of the painting when it arrived,… Read more »
A short time ago, we restored an oil painting that came into the studio with significant water damage. While our clients were able to disclose that water had affected the painting, for other oil paintings, the telltale signs of damage can be less easy to link to water ingress. If you have recently inherited a… Read more »
When Mr Peers’ painting arrived in the studio, our conservators immediately realised the potential restoration had to return the artwork to its original stately manner. At one and a half metres by one metre, the artwork is an imposing portrait of one of Mr Peers’ ancestors, a merchant from London. Typical of the Kneller portrait… Read more »
When a painting is awaiting collection to be restored, it is understandably tempting for art owners to try and rectify the damage at home. For one oil painting that recently came into the studio, the owner had created a temporary solution to lessen the appearance of two tears in the canvas. The application of strips… Read more »
When an oil painting becomes water damaged, deterioration is instant. For an 19th century oil painting we have just completed restoring, the consequences of the water infiltration were extensive and immediately evident. In this case, water has touched the painting at some point over the years, and additional damage has required the need for restoration.… Read more »
Occasionally, when we receive a painting into the studio, the medium is revealed to be different to what our client believed it to be. One of the most common culprits of this case of mistaken identity is the oleograph. Defined as ‘a print textured to resemble an oil painting’, the process of creating an oleograph… Read more »
The conservation and restoration of oil paintings is a complex practice which incorporates a wide range of treatments responding to the multiple issues that may have caused damages to your painting. The heterogeneous layer structure which constructs the easel painting presents a variety of different materials increasing the complexity of treatment particularly due to the… Read more »
Painting restoration refers to a number of different treatments you can have on your painting to improve its aesthetics. These include: The removal of surface dirt, such as dust, soot and smoke The removal and replacement of aged, yellowed or discoloured varnish The replacement of missing sections of paint The repair of painting damage, such… Read more »
