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 Case Study

'Under the magnifying glass'

When a painting arrives at Artlab for cleaning, before any work is commenced, a considerable amount of preparatory examination and analysis is undertaken. It is important to have as complete a picture as possible regarding the treatment history of the work and much of this valuable information is “buried” below the surface of the painting.

'Shedding some light on the subject'

By irradiating the work with ultraviolet light, it is possible to pick up previous damage and retouching (shown as darker areas) and to determine if this retouching is above or below the varnish layer. Armed with this data, and having done a cleaning “spot test” on an unobtrusive section of the painting, the paintings conservator can proceed with confidence knowing they are not removing any of the precious remaining original paint layer.

Use cursor on blue area to reveal ultraviolet image.

'The final touch'

Beautiful gilt frames are a prized feature of a work, this case is no exception. Some frames are hand carved, in others mouldings are used. Either way, the effect is dramatic, as can be seen in this finished restoration.