Recent Work
Charles Martin Powell (1775-1824)
Charles Martin Powell (1775-1824)
Born in Chichester, Powell was a self-taught artist, a fact which reflects great credit on him when one considers the beautiful draughtsmanship and ‘professional’ execution of his pictures. You will often find the foreground of Powell’s paintings being given over to fishing craft and coastal vessels.
A very pleasing result with the conservation treatment of this seascape, which had suffered considerable damage. Most noticeable was the tear seen on the mid-left portion of the painting, puncturing the stormy sky. Following meticulous work in our studio, It is now ready to be enjoyed once again.
The structure of the superb 18th century carved, gilded and swept frame was also severely compromised.
Eight metal plates were employed to stabilise the frame, four in the middle of every side, and four in all the corners.
We cleaned, stabilised, overall, to rescue the original gilding, repaired and restored all the missing sections,
sanded in place and gilded to match, seamlessly.
Finally, the frame was waxed and is now looking glorious!
Photography by @timwinterphotography
Tang Dynasty Horse (618-906 AD) Early 8th Century | Complete reconstruction & Conservation
This exquisite horse arrived in our studios in many fragments having fallen off a narrow table in a tragic accident. We carefully re-assembled it using the same terracotta from which it had been created so many hundreds of years ago. Piece by piece, it rose from the dead, and now it stands today, majestic, magnificent, glorious and magical! We even made a cabinet to protect it from such accidents in the future. Our client is thrilled, as it has made a complete recovery, and it looks today as though this terrible accident never occurred.
The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in China is often considered a golden age of arts and culture. During this period, there was a notable appreciation for realistic and expressive depictions of animals, particularly horses. Often crafted using earthenware or pottery, these sculptures are characterized by their lifelike portrayal of horses, capturing the dynamic movements. The artists paid great attention to the anatomy and musculature, creating a sense of vitality.
These exceptional terracotta pieces were not only artistic creations, but also served practical purposes. They were often placed in tombs as burial objects, symbolizing the belief in an afterlife where the deceased would need such items, they also reflect the importance of horses in Chinese society, as they were crucial for transportation, military endeavours, and trade along the Silk Road.
This magical piece offers us a glimpse into the cultural and artistic achievements of the Tang Dynasty. Many examples of Tang Dynasty horse sculptures can be found in museums around the world, showcasing the enduring legacy of this period in Chinese art.
Dauphin made the simple acrylic cabinet.
Photography by: @timwinterphotography
Silver Gilt Commemorative Sword
The conservation for this exquisite silver gilt commemorative sword has just been completed and we have now also finished building a beautiful bespoke display cabinet for it.
The sword was presented to our client's ancestor by the Non-Commissioned officers and privates of the North Devon Yeomanry Cavalry, to their colonel, in 1839. The previous cabinet must have been made just before WWII and it had since become riddled with woodworm. The slightly domed glass has long since broken, allowing moths and other insects to penetrate and the pieces to become badly discoloured.
Our cabinet was made from flat woods and carved bead profiles, covered with three coats of gesso, then a soft terracotta wash on the internal structure. We chose to place the sword and scabbard on their side upright like fish swimming in parallel, so that future viewers might be able to see from both sides. For the base we chose a blue velvet to highlight the sword's colours. The outer structure received several layers of terracotta bole, then a fine layer of black, before being waxed, distressed, and polished. The base moulding was then gilt before we added a new plaque. All the glass was the finest UV filter as to best preserve the materials inside.
Just look how this simple display has transformed the way we see the sword and scabbard, now visible in all their glory!
Hendrick de Meyer (1620 - 1689) - The Fishmarket at Scheveningen
BEFORE/DURING/AFTER ✨ details below:
This impressive Dutch Golden Age Baltic oak panelled painting by Hendrick de Meyer (1620 - 1689), of the traditional Fish market on the beach at Scheveningen, just outside The Hague, arrived in our studio earlier this year. It had been bought many years back and neglected, and was dangerously loose in the frame.
🛠HOW WE HELPED 🖌We spent months attending to it, removing the staggeringly amateur retouching of old and bringing the painting back to life. Much of the dark foreground had been brutally over cleaned and the dogs were all but obliterated, along with much of the intricate detail. We found pentimenti (hidden preparatory drawings) beneath past retouching and have left much of it in place so that future connoisseurs might witness the artist's original vision for the composition.
FRAMEWORK 🔧The cassetta designed frame was cleaned and conserved. We laid fresh maple veneer within the centre of the moulding, waxed with Antique Pine and Teak and inserted a 'lambs' tongue' shaped inner slip to embrace the panel more firmly within the frame and added gesso, bole and 22 carat gold leaf. The transformation was our reward!
Unveiling Hidden Landscapes
17th Century Portrait of the Duke of Monmouth
On a recent valuation to appraise some paintings for insurance and possible conservation, I found this intriguing portrait hanging in a dark corner. Covered in retouching from a crude attempt to restore it in the past, this handsome seventeenth-century period portrait of James Scott, Ist Duke of Monmouth (1649-1685), was in seriously poor condition.
Our studio was immediately entrusted with its conservation and that of the later, classical style, trophy frame, and here you can witness the staggering 'before' and 'after' state.
The painting was covered in thick layers of overpaint completely changing the sitter's demeanor and the artist's intended expression: the result of yet another appalling piece of restoration. The background was entirely repainted giving the portrait a hard, almost artificial look. While our studio worked very carefully to develop the least invasive approach for the removal of the extensive retouching and darkened varnish, we uncovered something truly remarkable. There, behind the grime and recent overpaint was a hidden landscape visible through a classical archway, and, in addition, the body of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which had all, hitherto, remained hidden.
One can only marvel at the vandalism to which the portrait had been exposed, and how tender and beautiful it is now, enabling one to see the lightness of touch with which it had originally been painted.
Following the cleaning, minor retouching was applied to areas of paint loss so as to enable the original artist's work to emerge in all its glory. Finally, the sensitivity with which the Duke of Monmouth, along with his canine companion, had been painted was there for all to behold, once more, and the extraordinary transformation was now complete.
It came in this simple gold leaf and gesso beaded, trophy, cassetta frame. This we cleaned, stabilised and conserved with 22 carat gold leaf, along with the coronet. The painting now awaits our research over its attribution and then it can be returned to his descendants.
Oil Portrait in Sunderland frame
This dazzlingly beautiful portrait in its stunning Sunderland frame has recently been completed by our studio, and returned to our thrilled clients.
Both the painting AND frame had suffered catastrophic damage in the past, when the family home was destroyed. We removed ALL the invasive retouching and, painstakingly, retouched it.
The frame was treated with immense care as well and freshly gilded with 22 carat gold leaf, and then 'distressed' to age it so that both painting and Mannerist Sunderland frame can now sing with joy!
Woman in Red Deck Chair - Hans Dahl
The Painting
When we acquired it, the painting had been brutally stuck to a piece of board giving it a flattened, hard look.
We spent much time removing the board from behind, laboriously scraping it back until we reached the original canvas. We then lined the picture using BEVA and a light piece of linen, and the painting recovered all its depth, lustre, and elasticity, utterly transforming it.
Finally, we cleaned the work and varnished it, and the before and after more than rewarded us for the time it had taken.
The Frame
We thought long and hard about the frame as this work needed something unusual that would enhance the image and give the work depth. On a visit to the Jeu de Paume in Paris, I saw this Edouard Manet painting Sur La Plage (scroll right) and was inspired by the originality of the frame: I thought we should make something similar, to set our piece apart when hung in a collection.
So this is it and we are absolutely thrilled with the result. It is our homage to Manet, who was a discerning, talented master, and cared as much about the frames he used on his paintings as we do!
Petrus van Schendel (1806-1870) The Vegetable Seller, Rotterdam
Following research, we discovered that this mahogany panel by Petrus van Schendel was made around 1868.
The Painting
The deeply engrained and stained varnish throughout was removed with the utmost care as the darker pigments are so volatile. It was then clear to see how serious the craquelure was throughout this exquisitely detailed painting. We then varnished the painting to protect the artist's work, and to bring the pigments up to their full density of colour.
Using a microscope we touched in the worst of the cracked pigment, keeping this very detailed work to a minimum. Finally, we added two further layers of the finest resin varnish, and fitted the painting back into it's original frame.
The Frame
The original frame was transformed: we sanded it down, added an inner slip, applied four coats of gesso, three of terracotta bole, one of black bole. We then gilded the inner slip and the band of beading within the frame using 22 carat gold leaf (the very best quality), then lacquered that in place to protect it. We added a very soft terracotta wash on the gold leaf to distress it, placed an antique pine wax throughout the frame, and teak wax on the black areas, and polished the it to a high sheen.
On both the painting and frame we worked in excess of the time allocated to achieve the highest possible standard, fitting for such a breathtakingly beautiful painting.
Passing Lipari, Sicily - Leon Morrocco
This charming watercolour by Leon Morrocco (b. 1984), ''Passing Lipari, Sicily''was bought in the above frame which closely resembles a Chrysler mudguard!
We decided to echo the movement of the water in this maritime scene by making an undulating frame with vertical ripples. This structure was then covered with gesso and white gold leaf before being finished with a soft terracotta pink wash and light waxes, that pick up the tender colouring in this charming watercolour.
To pull the whole thing together, we asked our friends at Artists Name Plates to make an antique gold plaque to attach to the frame.
Oil Portrait in Sunderland frame
This dazzlingly beautiful portrait in its stunning Sunderland frame has recently been completed by our studio, and returned to our thrilled clients.
Both the painting AND frame had suffered catastrophic damage in the past, when the family home was destroyed. We removed ALL the invasive retouching and, painstakingly, retouched it.
The frame was treated with immense care as well and freshly gilded with 22 carat gold leaf, and then 'distressed' to age it so that both painting and Mannerist Sunderland frame can now sing with joy!
Oil Portrait - Pieter Verelst (1616/18 – 1678)
This exquisite Pieter Verelst (1616/18 – 1678) portrait came to us for conservation from one of the most significant private collections in this country.
It needed to be given a very gentle clean to remove decades of engrained dirt and a much-darkened varnish. As a work on Baltic oak panel, it was in truly remarkable condition, largely owing to the quality of the artist's work and that of his panel maker. The French Louis XIVth carved and gilded frame, was very much the fashion of the time. As the great French king was one of the movers and shakers of the western world, and Dutch old masters were regularly framed in this style to fit in with the Parisienne style.
This is a very fine example of the period being beautifully carved and gilded, however, I prefer to see paintings of this quality and period framed in their Dutch 'livery', in fine wide ripple mouldings made from ebony or amboyna that set them off and place them within the context of their roots – the magnificent Dutch Golden Age.
Carved cabinet for 200 year old Napoleonic War Ship
This magnificent, exceptionally large, early 19th century Napoleonic French Prisoner-of war bone model for a first-rate ship of the line, with a hundred guns, needed a cabinet that matched the quality of the model’s craftsmanship.
With very little time we set to work making the case from scratch which was in itself a challenge giving its need to be at least a metre and a half in length. We decided that the base should simulate the sea. To achieve this we combined a carved ripple moulding, and inlaid beading and twisted rope. Many layers of gesso were applied prior to washing the base with a soft pale blue wash, whilst a terracotta wash was applied to the uprights. A simple cassetta moulding was used to surround the lower platform and fluted vertical mouldings to hold the UV glass in place. These were trimmed with a twisted rope motif. Rather than place UV glass on all four sides of the cabinet, it seemed unusual to reflect the model by placing a back of Italian antique flecked mirror glass, thus adding further sparkle to its existing splendour. The case was finished with a black bole on a terracotta base, and remains accessible through a side door with two elegant brass handles, so the vessel can be placed one way, or other, as our client desires. This commission was truly a labour of love and a fitting tribute to the extraordinary craftsmanship of those prisoners of war over two hundred years ago.
Charles Martin Powell (1775-1824)
Charles Martin Powell (1775-1824)
Born in Chichester, Powell was a self-taught artist, a fact which reflects great credit on him when one considers the beautiful draughtsmanship and ‘professional’ execution of his pictures. You will often find the foreground of Powell’s paintings being given over to fishing craft and coastal vessels.
A very pleasing result with the conservation treatment of this seascape, which had suffered considerable damage. Most noticeable was the tear seen on the mid-left portion of the painting, puncturing the stormy sky. Following meticulous work in our studio, It is now ready to be enjoyed once again.
The structure of the superb 18th century carved, gilded and swept frame was also severely compromised.
Eight metal plates were employed to stabilise the frame, four in the middle of every side, and four in all the corners.
We cleaned, stabilised, overall, to rescue the original gilding, repaired and restored all the missing sections,
sanded in place and gilded to match, seamlessly.
Finally, the frame was waxed and is now looking glorious!
Photography by @timwinterphotography
Grand Manner Portrait
This handsome portrait has returned to the family after a generation or two, much to their excitement. We were invited to conserve it prior to her returning home and this involved removing many layers of unnecessary over-paint. Once that was all gone the exquisite quality of the sitter's dress was revealed in all its majesty. It was an honour to work on such a glorious Grand Manner portrait and to attend to the beautiful frame.
17th century Angus Dei door
We wanted to make something incredibly sensitive and deferential so that the beauty of this exquisite carved and gilded door shone through whilst at last being returned to use. Much of the carving of the Lamb of God had broken away over the centuries and this we replicated, carving the missing sections before adding gesso, and regilding it throughout on a terracotta bole base.
We then constructed the 'cabinet', replicating the contour of the tabernacle door, adding the same style of beading and we felt a soft terracotta / pink wash would be the most appropriate colouring to enable the original carving to shine once more in all its glory!
17th century Angus Dei door
We have just finished making a tabernacle to surround the beautiful 17th century Angus Dei door which we have had in our possession for decades.
We wanted to make something incredibly sensitive and deferential so that the beauty of this exquisite carved and gilded door shone through whilst at last being returned to use. Much of the carving of the Lamb of God had broken away over the centuries and this we replicated, carving the missing sections before adding gesso, and regilding it throughout on a terracotta bole base.
We then constructed the ‘cabinet’, replicating the contour of the tabernacle door, adding the same style of beading and we felt a soft terracotta / pink wash would be the most appropriate colouring to enable the original carving to shine once more in all its glory!
Biagio d’Antonio Tucci (1446-1516)
This pearl of a piece arrived in our workshop earlier this year suffering from the most acute attack of woodworm we had seen in our working careers.
The woodworm had eaten right through the panel and caused catastrophic damage by splitting it in two, followed by sections of wood disintegrating and falling away. This deterioration was of such severity that one side of the panel eventually subsided, threatening thereby the entire structure.
Fashioned from one solid piece of poplar wood, a traditional structure favoured by Renaissance artists of the 15th century, this rare and exquisite piece had lost all solidity, as the worm had undermined the panel. It has taken one full year of painstaking work to stabilise and rebuild this remarkable work of art.
The first stage was to eradicate the woodworm and then to entrust the piece to our outstanding panel specialist for consolidation and structural repair. With one painstaking step after another he managed to re-align the badly traumatised panel. Very cleverly and with great skill, he placed a flexible strap on the back, which bridged the area destroyed by worm, uniting thereby one stable side of the panel with the other.
Having effectively resolved the very serious problem of instability within the structure of the panel, we were then able to set to work on conserving the frame. This altarpiece dates from the early period of the Renaissance when a frame and the panel upon which an artist executed a painting were carved from one solid piece of wood. In Italy poplar trees provided the most common source of material selected by artists of the day, whereas in the Low Countries, oak, preferably from the Baltic, was the wood of choice.
As frames are such a vital part of any work of art, especially when carved from the same block as the panel, we tend, for two reasons, to conserve them first. This approach helps bring the image itself into focus during conservation, like a gold adornment on a young neck. More practically and, more importantly, it makes sense, once the peripheral structural and gilding work has been completed, then to be able to devote one’s efforts fully to the painting itself.
Cautiously and carefully, we filled and strengthened the delicate panel and sought not to create a uniform surface but, rather, one that left the kiss of age intact. Therein lies more than one challenge: how to replace and prevent in future the considerable, historic, loss of pigment caused by pressure from the original knots in the wood of the poplar panel.
As the invasive retouching was removed, a rare and fine image shone through. An onlooker may now rejoice in the level of detail revealed, a tribute to this great artist who made the most of the influence of three remarkable masters, Fra Filippo Lippi (c.1406-1469), Andrea del Verrocchio (c.1435-1488), and Domenico Ghirlandaio (1448-1494).
I am fortunate to work with outstanding colleagues whose combination of talent permits us to conserve works such as this altarpiece to the highest standard and to be able to offer bespoke solutions to the daily challenge of conservation of fine paintings, frames and other works of art.
I would like to express particular gratitude to Anna Mambrin, my remarkable Senior Conservator of Paintings, Richard Rosko, our specialist carver and gilder for his work on the frame, and finally, Fabio Mazzocchini, who worked miracles with the poplar panel, thus enabling us to work our magic.
Czech Still Life & Biedermeier Style Frame
A good and sensible frame should never detract from the quality of a painting. It should only enhance and compliment it.
This is a key principle which should always be followed when picking and choosing a frame for a work of art. Even during the eighteenth century, when extravagant baroque and rococo frames were triumphant, these rules continued to be followed.
This guiding principle was brought to mind during a recent project here in our studio. The painting in question was a busy still life attributed to the Czech artist Ernst Czernotzky (1869-1939), which arrived requiring attention to both canvas and frame.
A gentle and subtle cleaning revealed the rich colours of the artwork`s details. The strong colours of the sumptuous carpet and tapestries are particularly pleasing to the eye, especially now the picture`s yellowed varnish has been removed.
The still life had arrived in a quality historic Biedermeier style frame. Its subtle and low relief decoration is suited to the particularly busy subject matter which it surrounds. The frame`s graceful appearance only enhances the painter`s work and does nothing to compete with it.
Time and dust had caused the damage to significant areas of gilding and decoration. The corners of frames are particularly vulnerable due to pressures exerted on what are the weakest points of its structure.
As experts in framing, and using historic methods, we managed to sculpt replacement decoration by hand to replicate the surviving details in other corners. This time consuming and delicate work is sometimes the only way to ensure that the resulting finish is harmonious. Losses in the gilding too were replaced with fresh gold leaf and gently distressed to help preserve the frame`s historic patina.
These subtle details, so often and easily neglected, are essential for any successful display of artworks.
Studio of Rembrandt - King Uzziah
Over the past fourteen months we have conserved, reframed, researched and brokered the sale of a very fine painting on panel from the Studio of Rembrandt. As experts both in the conservation and in the research of oil paintings, there are few bigger names in the History of Art than Rembrandt.
This atmospheric oil on panel depicts the Old Testament King Uzziah and had been in the collection of our client`s family for at least the last one hundred years. The principal version of this picture is in the Duke of Devonshire`s collection at Chatsworth and has been with the Cavendish family since 1742. Rembrandt commanded a busy studio of assistants and students and the picture in our care appeared to have been completed in his studio under the supervision of the master himself. It is signed and dated 1641 (or 1644). Scientific analysis, including pigment and dendrochronology analysis, was undertaken and which confirmed that the support and materials were consistent with the period whilst the signature was contemporary with the completion of the work.
The picture`s appearance on its arrival at our studio was unprepossessing, the underlying image having been concealed by decades of dirty and yellowed varnish and overpaint whilst the panel itself sported an unsympathetic and low-quality gilded frame which probably dated from the Twentieth Century. Slow, painstaking and diligent cleaning of the picture uncovered the very fine brushwork and preserved impasto obscured by the dust and dirt of ages. These efforts also revealed the marvellous interplay of shadow and light, and the refined atmospheric effects Rembrandt had originally intended.
There are many aspects of the conservation and research which cannot be covered in a short article but, once the picture was conserved, our focus was on the creation of a new and fitting frame for this exceptional Seventeenth Century Dutch painting. Inspired by the ripple cut ebony frames so often employed during the Dutch Golden Age, we set to work to fashion one in our studio by combining high quality moulds especially sourced from overseas for the project. Once given a warm red bole as the ground, the resulting black ebony finish complements perfectly the shadow and flesh tones found in the painting. The result speaks for itself.
Historical research undertaken in conjunction with other Old Master specialists revealed the painting`s forgotten origins. Ownership before the Eighteenth Century is unproven but a faded inscription on the rear of the panel identifies it as the `Rembrandt` recorded as having been given to the Premier Valet de Chambre of the Dauphin of France, the son of Louis XV. The panel found its way in due course to new owners, after its sale in Paris in 1775, the last of which was British.
We are proud and delighted to share with you the meticulous and exacting effort which goes into revealing the true and rare quality of an Old Master painting from the studio of a the most highly-esteemed of all Dutch painters.
Buyers Beware!
A very curious picture was brought to our studio by a client a few weeks ago. Purporting to be a copy after Nicholaes Maes`s painting of a Lady Dozing, the picture was mounted onto what seemed to be an old stretcher and bearing a thick layer of dirt on its surface. Having been asked to conduct a cleaning test, it soon became obvious that this was in fact a print, which had obviously been doctored to make it appear like an authentic oil on canvas. The difference in value between a print and a period copy requires little explanation.
It is clear that this picture was fabricated with the intention to deceive any well-meaning buyer. Determining exactly how recently the picture was made is extremely difficult, as the tracks of its creator have been incredibly well hidden. The reverse of the painting too, bearing some old scribbled text, was obviously concocted to reel in a buyer seeking some exciting backstory or forgotten provenance.
As is often the case, many pictures are very difficult to judge until examined in the flesh. As accredited conservators, with decades worth of experience, understanding such deceptive techniques is an essential part of our work.
The old saying CAVAET EMPTOR still rings true.
Portrait Conserved for the Foundling Museum's Exhibition
Two handsome grand manner portraits by Enoch Seeman came to the studio recently for conservation so that one of the portraits could then be included in the Foundling Museum's recent exhibition entitled Ladies of Quality & Distinction. On loan from a private collection, this painting was considered by the exhibition's curators to require sensitive conservation treatment before it could be put on display.
The portrait, attributed to the artist Enoch Seeman, depicts Frances, Countess of Winchilsea (c.1690-1745) in her baronial robes. The painting's enormous size, measuring nearly two metres tall, proved no problem for our highly skilled conservators here in the studio. Much of the work undertaken on the picture was the cleaning and removal of surface dirt, consolidating loose paint and sympathetically retouching areas of damage.
As expert conservators of historic frames, we also paid special attention in conserving the painting's highly ornate surround. This included strengthening the structural joints, which over time had loosened and weakened significantly. Once this was achieved, we stabilised the gesso ground and repaired loose plaster decoration and re-gilded damaged areas where necessary.
Once completed, the painting was installed amongst the many other fine pictures of the notable ladies involved with this important charitable institution throughout history. These included works by William Hogarth, Godfrey Kneller, John Vanderbank, Charles Phillips and Thomas Hudson.
Battle of Texel - A Colossal Maritime Conserved
Over the last nine months our studio has been busy conserving and restoring a powerful seventeenth century Dutch Marine. Measuring over one and a half metres tall, and nearly two and a half metres wide, this colossal painting arrived into our studio requiring attention.
Careful removal of the thick yellowed varnish uncovered areas of damage hidden by previous campaigns of restoration. Overzealous overpaint has now been removed revealing the artist's outstanding attention to detail. All other areas of damage have since seen seamlessly retouched, which has finally allowed the painting to appear as a coherent whole once more.
Needless to say, the painting arrived with no attribution and bearing a vague indication as to the precise scene of the battle. As marine specialists, we set about researching both spheres which could tell us more about the picture’s murky history. Comparison to other paintings of the period has confirmed the attribution of this picture to the Flemish marine painter Peter van de Velde (1634-1723/4). Other examples of his work, including those in the Rijksmuseum, exemplify the duskier colours the artist used in capturing tempestuous seas, alongside the precise brushwork in the details of the ships decoration and sailors caught in action. Our research also concluded that this is undoubtedly a depiction of the Battle of Texel (1673). The victorious Dutch Admiral Van Tromp’s flagship the Golden Lion, visible in the foreground, is depicted engaging with British vessels commanded by the notorious Prince Rupert of the Rhine. The English Ship Royal Prince, according to the historical accounts, can be seen on the far right having been separated from the rest of the fleet.
The before and after images make clear the vast amount of work that went into conserving this outstanding marine, the results of which have allowed this picture to visually set sail.
Goltzius Geldorp 1553 – 1618 Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, aged 54, 1547 – 1619 Dutch statesman and influential actor in the Dutch struggle for independence from Spain
2019 has been off to a busy start, with preparations for the upcoming BADA fair requiring a great deal of attention alongside our thriving studio.
One recently completed project, of which we were particularly proud, was the conservation and redisplay of a seventeenth century portrait attributed to the Dutch artist Gortzius Geldorp (1553-1618).
The picture had arrived in a nineteenth century lacklustre painted black frame accompanied by a thin gilded slip. To make the most of this relatively austere portrait, we decided to produce an outset Dutch ripple frame in our studio that would enhance the artist's original intentions. This was achieved using highly decorative ebony stained cut moulding.
Sensitive cleaning by our conservators had revealed the warm flesh tones in the sitter's face, details which were completely lost in the painting's previous setting. To achieve a greater unity between picture and frame, the moulding's undercoating of terracotta bole has been allowed to subtly shine through the black staining, which has enhanced the harmony of the picture greatly.
As specialist framers, with vast experience and knowledge of all eras and styles of the fine and decorative arts, we recognise how important and integral frames are in the presentation of paintings. The results speak for themselves.
G F Watts - Sir Galahad
As passionate admirers of the work of George Frederick Watts (1817-1904), in the summer we had the pleasure of conserving and restoring a fine picture belonging to the Watts Gallery in Compton, Surrey, which had recently been presented to them.
Sir Galahad, painted at around 1860-62, is the perfect evocation of the neo-medieval aesthetic that Watts so greatly admired. This small-scale version, perhaps a sketch for the larger canvases that exist in full length format at Harvard, Eton College and in a private collection, was produced under the influence of Burne Jones and Rossetti, with whom Watts had been travelling and working with during this period. Working in a style which came closest to the Pre-Raphaelites, this work is said to have taken inspiration from Tennyson’s poem of the very same subject.
Painted onto a very coarsely grained canvas, the picture entered our studio under a thick and discoloured varnish. Once carefully removed, the true vibrant colouring of the artist soon emerged from the murky shadows. The glistening gothic armour and majestic horse once again play an active part in the scene as Watts had intended.
The picture’s frame, entirely typical of the ‘Watts Frame’ style, required consolidation, cleaning and replacements of broken decoration. As is often the case, delicate details in gesso are susceptible to being snapped off and replaced with poorly executed work or simply painted over in gold to hide the damage. The result of this neglect detracted from the quality of the picture and required serious attention. Replacements were made by making a mould of surviving ornament and recasting in composition.
We are thrilled that the picture is once again on display in the Watts Gallery, in the artist’s former studio no less, surrounded by other celebrated works of this truly great Victorian painter.