Treatment

With oxidation and exposure to light, the natural resin varnish on the painting has darkened over time.  To protect the painting from the external environment, and to recapture its rich and vivid colours, conservators removed the yellowed varnish and replaced it with a new layer of clear and stable synthetic varnish.  This is a reversible conservation process where the newer varnish can be removed if necessary.

Notice the difference where the old varnish is removed.

Areas with losses of original paint were conserved by levelling the ‘gap’ in the paint with a gesso of similar composition, and then painting over it with a colour matching the original.  Known as “in-painting”, this is also a reversible conservation process where restoration can be removed if necessary.

Home