Pastoral Scene by W. Gillard

Oil on canvas, 430 x 769 mm. Reproduced by kind permission of the owners

 

History and Condition

This painting had been kept in poor conditions and had obviously suffered the affects of damp. The surface of the painting was very dusty and discoloured, but a fine painting could be seen underneath all the murky layers.

The oblong shadow running along the bottom shows how the painting was resting flat against the stretcher bar behind, while the central part of the painting sagged inwards.

General flaking indicates the possible failure of the size layer. Size is used to make the canvas less absorbent. Its like a first coat of thin paint on plaster to seal it. The ground and paint layers are then applied on top. Traditionally, animal glue is used, and this remains highly absorbent to moisture and damp. If exposed to too much damp, it will fail. As the paint and ground layers are sticking to it, and if it fails the paint and ground will fall off.

As well as problems with the size, the canvas also showed signs of having shrunk at some point. This is due to the canvases response to changes in humidity. If the canvas absorbs moisture the fibres will swell, causing the canvas to become stiff, like wet clothing. As the canvas is stretched on a loom too, it will become tighter and in effect shrink. As the canvas dries out under tension, it relaxes. If this happens many times and if the changes in humidity are rapid, then the fibres become damaged and exhausted by the swelling and contracting. They become weaker and the canvas will sag. As the paint cannot change dimension as readily as canvas, being harder, it will crack. If the canvas has shrunk too much, the paint may be forced to flake, the canvas now being too small for each area of paint.

Treatment

The painting was pre-stretched, impregnated with adhesive to achieve good adhesion of the paint layers to the canvas and lined onto new linen canvas.

It was then varnished,  filled and retouched and given a final coat of varnish. 

® More detailed explanation of treatment

Whole front, before treatment.

Detail of flaking on left side. This detail of the two figures under the tree shows the paint loss and flaking of the paint.

Detail of edge, top right corner. The canvas had deteriorated at the edges.

Whole front, after treatment.