Before Treatment
Unidentified Artist after Jacques Blanchard, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, after 1630, oil on canvas. The painting was covered in layers of dark grime and cigarette smoke and nicotine as well as a heavy layer of discolored varnish.
During Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, after Jacques Blanchard, after 1630, oil on canvas (with heavy, discolored varnish partially removed).
After Treatment
Unidentified Artist after Jacques Blanchard, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, after 1630, oil on canvas.
Before Treatment
Adolph Gottlieb, Portrait of Gladys Sikora, 1932/4, Private Collection. This painting had suffered a damage decades before its repair in this studio. The primary goals of treatment were stabilization of lifting paint, local tear repair, grime reduction, and ensuring the support was tensioned onto an appropriate stretcher, as the current, unoriginal stretcher did not fit the painting properly.
During Treatment
Adolph Gottlieb, Portrait of Gladys Sikora, 1932/4, Private Collection.
This image shows the painting after its structural treatment, with the tear having been mended locally, surface grime reduction completed, the losses filled, as well as the reduction of planar distortions overall.
After Treatment
Adolph Gottlieb, Portrait of Gladys Sikora, 1932/4, Private Collection. In the final image, the losses have been integrated with the neighboring paint through inpainting with pigments ground in a reversible medium.
Before Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Portrait of Mrs. Willoughby, c. 1830, oil on canvas, with large open tear
During Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Portrait of Mrs. Willoughby, c. 1830, oil on canvas. This image shows the painting after a fabric insert was applied and locally mended on the reverse. The insert was prepared for retouching and was toned red to approximate the original toning layer.
After Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Portrait of Mrs. Willoughby, c. 1830, oil on canvas. This treatment was conducted without removing the fabric support from its original strainer. After the torn section was locally stabilized, the fabric remained strong enough to support itself, and it was highly desirable not to disturb the original tacks or alter the original support.
Before Treatment
Charles Salis Kaelin (1858-1929), Fall Woodland Scene, ca. 1920, Oil painting on canvas board
During Treatment
Charles Salis Kaelin (1858-1929), Fall Woodland Scene, ca. 1920, Oil painting on canvas board. This image shows the unvarnished picture partially grime cleaned using specular light, which illustrates the paint surface\’s dramatic change in gloss as a result of grime removal.
After Treatment
Charles Salis Kaelin (1858-1929), Fall Woodland Scene, ca. 1920, Oil painting on canvas board
Before Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Baby Chicks in a Landscape, ca. late 19th c. This painting and frame were exposed to smoke and soot from a house fire, in addition to years of grime. The painting had a heavy, discolored varnish that was also extremely dull and coated in particulate dust.
During Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Baby Chicks in a Landscape, ca. late 19th c. This image shows the painting with the varnish half cleaned.
After Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Baby Chicks in a Landscape, ca. late 19th c. In addition to cleaning both the painting and frame, missing ornament was replaced on the frame and toned to match the surrounding gilding.
Before Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Portrait of Benjamin Thompson, known as Count Rumford, 1785, oil on canvas, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
During Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Portrait of Benjamin Thompson, known as Count Rumford, 1785, oil on canvas, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
After Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Portrait of Benjamin Thompson, known as Count Rumford, 1785, oil on canvas, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Before Treatment
Samuel F. B. Morse, Head Study for The Goldfish Bowl (Mrs. Richard Cary Morse and Family), c. 1835, oil on mill board, Muscarelle Museum of Art, The College of William and Mary
During Treatment
Samuel F. B. Morse, Head Study for The Goldfish Bowl (Mrs. Richard Cary Morse and Family), c. 1835, oil on mill board, Muscarelle Museum of Art, The College of William and Mary
After Treatment
Samuel F. B. Morse, Head Study for The Goldfish Bowl (Mrs. Richard Cary Morse and Family), c. 1835, oil on mill board, Muscarelle Museum of Art, The College of William and Mary
Before Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Portrait of an Unidentified Lady in a Blue Dress, ca. late 18th c., oil on canvas
During Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Portrait of an Unidentified Lady in a Blue Dress, ca. late 18th c., oil on canvas, detail during cleaning
After Treatment
Unidentified Artist, Portrait of an Unidentified Lady in a Blue Dress, ca. late 18th c., oil on canvas
Before Treatment
Jeremiah Theus, Portrait of Catherine DuTarque, c. 1774, oil on canvas. This portrait was coated with a synthetic resin varnish as well as a significant layer of yellowed wax resin from a lining during a previous restoration over 50 years ago. At that time, the painting was stabilized and cleaned, but was not restored.
During Treatment
Jeremiah Theus, Portrait of Catherine DuTarque, c. 1774, oil on canvas. This image shows the painting half cleaned of the discolored wax resin.
After Treatment
Jeremiah Theus, Portrait of Catherine DuTarque, c. 1774, oil on canvas. All of the old losses were filled and retouched, allowing the painting to be seen as a complete portrait again. The original frame was lost long ago and had been replaced by a 19th c. frame that was not appropriate to the period of the painting. A new, reproduction frame was chosen to complement the picture.