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Pastoral Scene by W. Gillard
- Oil on canvas, 430 x 769 mm. Reproduced
by kind permission of the owners
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Treatment details
Tests were carried out to check
the solubility of the paint, and varnish and for the paintings
suitability for all the treatment processes to follow. The
painting was faced with tissue to protect the paint layer
during treatment. This was stuck to the front using dilute
glue.
The facing tissue is torn into
squares to make it easier to apply. |
The painting was removed from the
stretcher and cleaned. As can be seen, a considerable
amount of dirt has accumulated on the back, particularly where
the stretcher bars were.
The canvas was first checked for
its response to moisture to make sure there would be no adverse
reaction. The distortions in the canvas were treated
using moisture and weight. The barely perceptible amounts
of moisture encourages the canvas fibres to relax, and while
drying the canvas is encouraged to re-conform by weighting it
down.
Not all the distortions were
corrected and the painting underwent a further process called
pre-stretching. Pieces of damp paper are tested for
their shrinkage characteristics. Dampened strips of the
chosen paper are carefully stuck to the canvas and also to a
board. While the strips are drying, they gently stretch
the painting along all sides so mimicking the action of a
stretcher.
The painting was then lined onto
a new piece of linen canvas and the consolidation of the flaking
paint was achieved at this stage.
The stretcher was checked for
defects and the painting re-stretched onto the stretcher. The
adhesive for the facing was dissolved and the facing removed.
Much of the dirt was removed with the facing.
After an isolating coat of
varnish (isolating fills and restoration form the original paint
layer), the losses were filled and textured to match the
surrounding paint. On completion of retouching the
painting was given a final coat of semi-matt varnish.
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