Above, you see a stunning half dirty, half clean painting. The “dirty section” is actually clean of soot, dirt and debris, but still has old/ yellowed varnish. The restoration process began by surface cleaning this painting which revealed that the varnish was uneven and heavily yellowed. A chemical cleaning test and analysis were conducted on the edges of the painting to see how well this specific varnish would remove discoloration and if the paint underneath was stable enough for the task. It was! So, we proceeded bringing this work of art back to life. Varnish was removed in small sections so the solutions utilized don’t sit on the painting longer than necessary. It is a methodical and time-consuming process, but very gratifying in the end.
During this process, we discovered that previous restoration work had been done to repair a torn section. The previous restoration work was removed because it was not done correctly. To restore the painting and rectify the previous attempt at repairs, a crack needed to be filled and paint needed to be added and matched around the torn area. In the end, the many hours spent on this painting were worth it. It is back to its’ original vibrancy with a new coat of UV-stable varnish that will not yellow with age.
Do you or someone you know need photos, paintings, statues or collectibles, repaired or cleaned? Contact Back in the Frame Art Restoration today to get your artwork back in the frame!