| Oftentimes, the colors of older
paintings have a brown and yellow tint caused by an organic varnish
that has yellowed with the passage of time. Such tints can become
so opaque that no true color or depth of background is visible, making
the actual painting seem to have almost disappeared. When this happens
to a painting, a restoration, conducted by a trained conservator,
should be considered.
Many people think conservators are the “"magicians"
of the art world. They are actually trained art historians, chemists
and materials scientists, and they combine these areas of knowledge
with the manual dexterity and color sense of a skilled artist. A
good painting restorer or conservator must be as talented as the
original artist if his or her handiwork isn't to leap out at the
viewer as a clumsy repainting of the original art.
To follow is a description of the painting restoration process
that highlights the details a conservator must examine and the types
of information he or she should be knowledgeable of when restoring
a work of art.
The Restoration Process
Upon receiving a work that needs restoring, a conservator should
examine the work, making note of the signature to identify the artist.
Trained as an art historian, a conservator should be aware of the
style of that period, the painting technique, and the materials
available to an artist of that time. This knowledge will help the
conservator identify the pigments and fabrics that were popular
and available to the artist and help him or her determine the best
approach for the restoration.
Conservators will often remove the frame and look under the “tacking”
edge (a thin area hidden beneath the edge of the frame) to uncover
pigments that are light and clear. This helps a conservator see
the true color scheme.
A conservator will often continue examining a painting with the
aid of an ultraviolet light, noting a greenish or blueish fluorescence
on the surface of the painting. Trained in chemistry, the professional
conservator knows that resinous, organic varnish, like Damar or
Shellac, creates such colored luminosity when subjected to incident
light or other electromagnetic radiations of shorter wavelength,
especially violet and ultraviolet light.
If a layer of varnish is discovered, a conservator will perform
a small cleaning test to remove it. Using a solvent on a cotton
swab, a conservator gently rubs open a window, displaying the true
color beneath. This will help the color palette used by the artist
become apparent. The whites are white, the blues are blue. And so
it continues as each pigment reacts to the solvents——
different solvents in different strengths with different rates of
evaporation.
A conservator continues this complicated process, examining with
a magnifying glass and a microscope, using different lights, making
notes and taking photographs at each stage to carefully document
every part of the restoration.
An oil painting is composed of multiple layers of pigments suspended
in medium (oil and turpentine). Regardless of its subject, a painting
is simply a created illusion, striving to depict three-dimensional
reality on a two-dimensional surface. All of pictorial art history
is simply a studied investigation of ways to create depth, air and
space. And, as with any illusion, these methods are extraordinarily
fragile and subtle. It is with these that the artist claims virtuoso
skill.
Wearing a jeweler’s head-mounted visor, a conservator carefully
removes each layer of varnish and then washes the area with a "retarding"
solvent to remove any residual solvent and reveal the underlying
image. No pigment is removed or abraded. This delicate work progresses
slowly and incrementally, stroke by stroke, each viewed under a
magnifying lens. As the old layers of varnish and dirt are removed,
the painting slowly begins to appear.
This is not magic but a meticulous chemical process performed by
a trained and steady hand accompanied by a highly educated and experienced
eye. A conservator's training and care insure that the solvent does
not go too far, either removing the original pigment or chemically
burning the surface. There is no margin for error since any loss
of pigment is irrevocable.
Slowly, the work continues until all the varnish is removed. The
three-dimensional illusion not only remains intact but comes alive.
A conservator, trained in material science, also can address a painting’s
structural problems. Conservators will often remove the painting
from its stretcher and cover the front with a protective “facing”
composed of wet paper and emulsion. This protects the surface while
he or she uses a surgeon’s scalpel to carefully remove years
of dirt and grime from the back of the canvas.
. . . . . . . . . .
Any material used to repair or strengthen the canvas must be both
chemically compatible and reversible: that is, any material used
on a work of art must be able to be removed without harming or discoloring
the original paint.
Finally, a conservator will remove residual adhesive and restretch
the painting onto a new museum-quality stretcher. Once this is complete,
the conservator is ready to repaint.
The conservator, with the hand of a trained artist, brushes a synthetic,
nonyellowing, removable varnish over the face of the painting. This
is called an “isolating varnish,” because it separates
the original painting from any paint that will be added to reconstruct
the design. Dry pigments are used in synthetic, nonyellowing medium,
and paint is used in areas of color loss, using exactly the same
colors, texture and surface sheen of the surrounding areas. The
principle here is that the conservator’s paint should only
touch areas of actual paint loss and should never overlap undamaged
original paint.
This demanding work is done under the jeweler’s visor using
a pointillist technique and tiny sable 00 or 000 brushes. Once this
"in painting" is finished, a conservator will brush on
one final coat of protective varnish.
When these steps are complete, the painting has been restored. It
is no longer fragile. The colors are vivid and alive, revealing
the artist’s original vision. All materials used in the restoration
are noninvasive and can easily be removed without endangering paint
layers or affecting the work in any way. The painting can be enjoyed
for years to come.
Art Care Tips
As an advocate for preservation, a conservator should inform clients
of techniques for preventing damage to their art. Here are a few
basic guidelines:
- Paintings should be framed with new and secure hardware and
hanging materials.
- A nonacidic backing board should be attached to the reverse
of the stretcher to protect the painting against puncture.
- A painting should be hung on an appropriate wall in a stable
environment—never over a fireplace or air duct, and not on
an exterior wall or in direct sunlight.
- A painting should be examined periodically by a professional
to ensure its continued beauty and its preservation against the
ravages of time.
Selecting a Conservator for Your Restoration Project
Conservation has been called "the humble art." The conservator,
preserver of the past, is ethically bound to do nothing to destroy
the intent of the original artist. He or she is an advocate for the
preservation of a cultural property.
When selecting a conservator, it is important to review the individual's
credentials, make sure that he or she prescribes to the same philosophy
mentioned above, and check his or her previous clientele to ensure
that he or she has worked with similar art and that his or her customers
were satisfied.
A database of conservators who are affiliated with the American Institute
of Conservation (AIC) and other similar professional associations
is available on www.art-care.com |
