View of Naples

ca 1850

Painting before restoration

Painting after restoration

This painting arrived to Sherman Art Conservation with the canvas unstretched. Often paintings are removed from their stretchers to facilitate storage or transportation (see note below). In this case the canvas suffered numerous creases with paint loss as well several small tears. The painting surface was covered by both a discolored varnish and a grime layer.

Treatment

• The loose paint around the tears was consolidated with brush applications of adhesive
• The discolored varnish and grime layers were removed from the painting surface
• The canvas was pre-flattened with controlled moisture and weights
• The painting was lined onto a secondary linen canvas to reinforce the canvas structure
• The painting was restretched onto a new custom stretcher
• The missing areas of paint were filled
• A new varnish was applied to the painting
• The areas of loss were retouched

note: paintings can be transported rolled but it is always important that they are rolled face out and are rolled around a solid tube with as large a diameter as possible. Paintings not rolled around a solid tube often will develop creases which can be difficult to remove.