I am working on a group of portraits in preparation for an exhibition. Today it’s The Cleric. I put it on the easel for a brief examination and note it is very dirty with mould and paint splashes.
I take it out of its frame, a new storage frame fitted when it came into the collection. I write a condition report noting down the details of the painting – the canvas is of medium weight painted on the reverse with white oil paint, there is a white ground and the paint is applied with a large brush. There is considerable surface dirt over the whole painting including atmospheric dust, mould and paint splashes.
I take the pre-treatment photographs then I write the treatment plan which includes removing the surface dirt, cleaning the reverse, replacing and tapping out wedges to re-tension the canvas, and re-fitting in the frame.
Now I can start the treatment and the first stage is the cleaning. I do some small tests with saliva on the edge of the painting and find that I can safely remove the dirt with saliva and cotton wool swabs so I proceed carefully over the whole painting. The paint splashes are removed mechanically using a sharp scalpel and working under the microscope. This is one of the most rewarding parts of the treatment. The original colours of the paint are revealed and the painting starts to look fresh again.
Jenny Williamson