Fine Art
Rediscovering a Masterpiece: Everhard Jabach and His Family (1618-1695)
Charles Le Brun’s grand painting of Everhard Jabach IV and his family has come to be known as one of the most important and celebrated group portraits of the 17th century. Today, it is one of the signature pieces of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is displayed in its New York […]
Antique Bronze Sculpture Conservation
The conservation of antique bronze statues and other small collectables depends to an extent on their greatest environmental exposures. Larger pieces that were designed for exterior use, such as pieces of fountains and garden statuary, and large bronze artwork designed for outdoor display, like Henry Moore’s monumental works, need special protection against the changing environmental […]
Restoration of Picasso’s the Artists Mother
The Museo Picasso de Barcelona has completed an extraordinary restoration of the pastel portrait of Picasso’s mother. Originally completed in 1896 when Picasso was still a student, the portrait is masterful in the use of the qualities that make pastels special for portraits – and very difficult. The surface is velvety and soft, colours quiet. […]
Conservation of the Canaletto Paintings From the Wallace Collection
An ambitious conservation and restoration project on the Canaletto paintings in the Vedute Room at the Wallace House was recently completed. The Italian term vedute is used, in art history, to describe a type of landscape painting that is usually topographically accurate, and represents a cityscape. Many collections of Italian cityscapes were gathered by young […]
Painted Portraits Restoration and Conservation
Art historians and conservation specialists are always dismayed when the fine art restoration of a portrait by one of the Old Masters is completed, and the luminous colours and bright light of the original is revealed to universal confusion. Where is the warm gold and tobacco brown glaze we associate with the portraits of old? […]
Standards For Frame Restoration
Several considerations regarding replacing or restoring the frame around a piece of art should be discussed with a frame restoration specialist prior to any work being done. The value of an artwork depends not just on the work itself, but the condition – and for many works of art, mounting and framing can either protect […]
Process and Challenges with Watercolour Restoration
When people speak of watercolour art, language such as delicacy, fragility, and light are used to describe the dreamy, ethereal nature of the painted surface. These same qualities of delicacy and fragility are what causes many watercolour works to need careful conservation and restoration. Challenges for the conservationist include issues related to the paper, and […]
Conservation of Gilded Religious Art: Eastern Orthodox Icons
The art of gilding, adding a layer of gold leaf to the finished, fine surface of an object or piece of furniture, was particularly suited to religious art. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, icons, small, portable portraits of saints and the Holy Family on wooden panels, were traditionally gilded on the backgrounds and as halos […]
Restoration of Fine Porcelain and Ceramics
Artists who work in ceramics love porcelain for the way its inherent plasticity when wet can be fired into strong, vitreous material stronger and more delicate than glass. The tension between the delicacy, strength, and plasticity of ceramics is one of the reasons our artistic heritage is so full of ceramic art. Porcelain is special […]
The History Of Conservation
Art conservation is the fine, scientific discipline of conserving artwork, furniture, china and much more. The central aim is to preserve the original piece down to the finest detail. Any improvements to the appearance come second. The process of conservation may include repair, cleaning, re-shaping and so on. To give you a better understanding of […]
