Ceramics, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Restoration stories, Useful articles
From walls filled with oil paintings to cabinets full of porcelain, many of our clients have extensive and diverse collections. For an enthusiastic connoisseur of art and antiques, the value of each item is often highly personal rather than simply monetary. Above: a selection of Kähler vases from our client This was the case with… Read more »
Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Useful articles
As well as producing marvellous still life bouquets, symbolic landscapes and grand portraits, the Dutch Golden Age saw the introduction of the genre painting. With an emphasis on realism and morality, these unique artworks can offer us a visual insight into the lives of patrons and peasants of the 17th century and beyond. Above: a… Read more »
Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Useful articles
Many of the oil paintings we come across in our studio are well-known scenes from some of Europe’s most historic towns and cities. For their current owner, they may inspire nostalgia for a favourite place, which is not unlike the original reason for their creation. Whilst we may think of souvenirs today as being fairly… Read more »
Antique Furniture, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Modern & Contemporary Furniture, Useful articles
Long before the advent of television and the everyday inclusion of a sofa in every living room, these large and richly designed chairs were exclusively owned by a privileged few. As centuries went by, the obtainability of furniture to recline upon (and the luxury to do so) became evermore accessible and by the 1950s, no… Read more »
Antique Furniture, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Useful articles
The distinctive style of Japanese lacquerware can be found on a wide variety of antiques, from cabinets and tables to clothing accessories. Whether the item is authentic or inspired by Edo patterns, many lacquer antiques will require professional restoration due to their sensitive surface and historic materials. Above: a selection of lacquer antiques including an… Read more »
Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Restoration stories, Useful articles
The age of a painting can often be part of its appeal, allowing us to own part of history and appreciate the ever evolving ideas of art. Whilst many antique paintings may seem to portray a rather straightforward image or story, beneath the surface there are often complex messages and allegories to be found. Similarly,… Read more »
Guides and Advice, Latest News, Sculptures & Installation Art, Useful articles
This week’s conservation curiosity are sculptural antique busts. This classical form of portraiture has allowed famous faces from Julius Caesar to Queen Victoria to be recorded in three-dimensional splendour. Above: a selection of antique busts including a terracotta Bacchante by Rodin, an early 16th century Julius Caesar, a marble bust by Augustin Pajou, Denis Diderot… Read more »
Due to its easily sculpted and versatile nature, alabaster has been used as a decorative material for thousands of years. Utilised by the ancient Egyptians and designers of the Art Deco period, you may find it in the form of a Pharaoh’s sarcophagus or an early 20th century lamp. Above: a selection of alabaster items… Read more »
Some of the most valuable antiques in the world are made of Chinese porcelain. This esteem and artistic tradition is centuries old, with the first imports coming to Europe in the 17th century as highly sought after items for royalty and aristocracy. Today, we still recognise this late Ming period as being an important era… Read more »
Artists, Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Useful articles
Welcome to our latest edition of regional artists. This week we are heading to the southern region of Cornwall to explore a rich history of Cornish artists and art schools including St Ives and Newlyn. Above: a detail from an illustration of The Lion Rock from Views in Cornwall by Thomas Rowlandson, 1812 If you… Read more »
Guides and Advice, Latest News, Useful articles, Watercolour, Works On Paper
Watercolour paintings are one of the most frequent genres of art to visit our studio. Their materials and display location are often the cause of this, with many antique and modern pieces succumbing to moisture, foxing and discolouration over a long period of time. But what can be done to prevent these issues? And how… Read more »
Ceramics, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Specialist Items, Useful articles
Welcome to our conservation curiosity series, this week we are looking into the world of miniature Japanese sculptures known as netsuke. These unassuming figurines have been known to fetch six figures at auction, but are not often recognised by the untrained eye. Above: a selection of antique netsuke carved in ivory, wood and lacquer Typically… Read more »
Ceramics, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Specialist Items, Useful articles
The collection of artwork housed by a church, abbey or cathedral can be diverse in both age and medium. Some of the most contrasting pieces are statues, from mediaeval wooden carvings to modern fibreglass figures. Above: from left to right, a stone apostle from 1440-50, ‘The Miracle of the Palm Tree’ from 1490-1510, Virgin and… Read more »
Guides and Advice, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Restoration stories, Useful articles
Often in the course of restoration our conservators find hidden areas that have been overshadowed by discolouration or darkened varnish for decades. This was certainly the case with a painting by American illustrator Dean Cornwell that recently came to our studio. The dramatic scene is from a 1918 book entitled The Valley of the Giants… Read more »
Guides and Advice, Latest News, Useful articles, Works On Paper
Our studio cares for a wide range of artworks, including traditional prints in monochrome and colour. Lithographs are popular as both an antique and contemporary medium, from Eugene Delacroix in the 1820s to David Hockney in the 1970s. Their value as a limited edition or rare print may be substantial, with some lithographs reaching six… Read more »
Antique Furniture, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Useful articles
The craftsmanship of wooden furniture is full of centuries old tradition, including the development of decorative veneer surfaces. A veneer is in simple terms a very thinly sliced piece of wood, often selected due to its grain or colour. In some cases, the correct identification of veneer work can help you to explore the era,… Read more »
Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Miniatures, Specialist Items, Useful articles
Our conservation curiosities series will give you a quick insight into some of the most unusual and unique pieces you’ll come across in auction rooms and antique shops around the world. This week we are looking at snuff boxes and the miniature artworks that adorn them. What is a snuff box? Snuff was a smokeless… Read more »
Artwork Analysis, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Useful articles
Many paintings that come to our studio have been in a family for decades, hanging on a wall of a home as a mysterious piece that has simply always been there. Others may have been recently purchased at an auction or antique shop, leaving the new owner to question its origin and age. Due to… Read more »
There are many choices to consider when framing your paper artwork, from which glass to use to the more decorative elements. Not only is it important to display your painting, drawing or print in a conservation safe manner, but to elevate the beauty and importance of the piece an appropriate mount. Our conservators create washlines… Read more »
Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Specialist Items, Useful articles
This is our new series giving you a quick insight into some of the most unusual and unique pieces you may come across in auction rooms and antique shops around the world. We will look into how these precious pieces can be sensitively restored without harming their historic value. This article will look into the… Read more »
