Portland, Oregon (503) 234-5469 (Messages returned at breaktime)
Lillie May Nicholson (1884-1964) Pacific Grove,
California- "Mt. Near Lake Tahoe"
12" X 16" Oil on Canvas board (painted around 1925)
Before & After* (Dry Process of varnish
removal)
All "After" photos were taken prior to final
varnishing.
All photos are sized and cropped for downloaded
comparisons.
The Process
of having a painting properly conserved
entails the removal of the aged, yellowed varnish that was originally
placed over the surface of the painting to protect it from pollutants that
cause deterioration. After the original varnish and surface dirt are
removed the painting is coated with fresh varnish which makes the colors
vivid and protects the surface once again with greater contrast and clarity.
There are
basically two different approaches used in today's Conservation
Laboratory, the first of which is a wet process.
The WET Process
is the most commonly used today.
The wet process is beneficial on a financial level, but can reduce
the value of important works
of art. The wet process requires a solvent to be spread over an area and
allowed to remain for a specific amount of time to soften the original
varnish prior to its removal. When the original varnish is softened, or
liquefied, the heavier dirt particles and fine pollutants trapped in the varnish
dissolve and break up into finer
particles and can sink down to the surface of the painting. These fine
particles can seep into the pores of the surface of the paint. Once this
has happened, the only way to completely remove the remaining pollutants is by
risking the loss of some of the pigment surrounding it, which should be
considered unacceptable.
An overly aggressive solvent can soften the surface of the painting
resulting in pigment losses while at the same time leaving behind ponds of
the original, not-fully dissolved, yellowed varnish that was applied more
thickly in areas or settled in low spots when the painting was first
varnished. Upon revarnishing, a portion of this remaining dirt floats and
spreads in the new varnish creating a haze that obscures depth and
clarity. This has been an accepted practice for the majority of paintings
and, over time, the works have been affected in a negative manner by the
creation of an almost permanent haze that reduces the contrast levels and
color quality of the original work.
With this in mind it becomes apparent that the first time a painting
undergoes conservation the quality level is of critical importance to the
future life and value of the painting. The goal of Leninger Fine Art
Conservation is to properly preserve the original integrity of the
Artist's intended work with the understanding that while the Artist may not
be highly valued today, tomorrow can tell a different story. Those who possess
the best preserved examples of an Artist's work reap the future rewards.
A preferred and extremely effective alternative
method of varnish removal is performed as a Dry Process.
The Dry Process
is a time intensive and very demanding
method used to effectively remove the original varnish layer via micro
tools. By removing the varnish in a dry state the pollutants are also
successfully removed. The Dry Process is used in most of the world's major
art conservation laboratories, but due to budgetary concerns, in limited
applications reserved for the brightest areas in the painting where the
residual original yellowed varnish would be a detraction to the viewer.
Many times this process is performed after the wet process has ocurred
(dis-satisfaction) and
the finer pollutants have already embedded themselves in the painting's surface.
Dirt on top of a painting's surface deflects and scatters light and color
while obscuring depth and clarity that create an inner glow. In most instances,
the brighter parts
of a painting are made up of opaque pigments, and much of the richness and
depth of a painting is actually found in the darker areas where layers of
thin translucent and transparent paints have been slowly built up to
achieve a deep and luminous effect. The Dry Process method brings out the
full potential of these deep luminous areas and can potentially bring a
painting closer to its original viewing condition than other
processes.
Featured Painting- Lillie May Nicholson
from
The Collection of Jane Knechtel
Portland, Oregon
Before and After- Dry Process
(After photos taken prior to final varnishing) sizes of photographed
areas- 1.75 to 4.5 cm
This painting was varnished using an oil-based/resin varnish which is
incredibly difficult to remove using a "wet" process that would have easily
damaged this painting given the heavy impasto surface. The varnish layer was incredibly thick (over 1/16 inch in the deeper pools)
The dry varnish removal process proved to be very effective in this instance, however,
this proceedure exceeded 200 hours of intensive, focused labor prior to surface cleaning.
A painter should avoid varnishing their artwork with anything but a very thin layer of Dammar Varnish
for ease of removal after it has yellowed (which ALL varnishes do over time).
Click on thumbnails for larger version
Leninger Fine Art Conservation
Projection Enlargements
The ability to enlarge a brushstroke from 1 cm to 8 ft in
length is extremely beneficial for examining the progress of conservation.
The Projections shown can be enlarged another 7X with clarity.
Linear Process of Conservation
Upon receipt of half the estimate for the project, the painting is immediately photographed
digitally at 14.1 megapixel resolution (TIFF files) and then physically
inspected for any damages occurring during transportation.
Areas that are considered delicate, damaged, or excessively dirty
are photographed in detail.
The TIFF files are loaded into a computer and sent to a digital
projector which creates an 8-foot image for detailed viewing.
An Assessment is made and notes are taken prior to testing the
surface of the painting along the border that is normally covered by the
frame. Once the stability of the painting is determined, the process of
varnish removal begins.
As areas of the varnish are removed, or at the end of the day's
work, the painting is again photographed in high resolution and the
progress inspected to insure the desired results.
The painting is observed under UV
Blacklight to ensure that small areas of remaining varnish are
thoroughly removed.
The painting's surface is cleaned with a very safe & gentle
solvent for an exceptionally brief time to remove the dirt that was on
the surface of the painting at the time that it was first varnished and
then allowed to dry for an extended period of time.
The painting is again photographically documented and the painting
is re-varnished and properly cured for an extended period of
time. The new varnish resaturates the intensity levels of the pigments;
unfortunately photography at this point becomes difficult in the
laboratory because the clean surface becomes very reflective. The actual
final product has much more color intensity, contrast and depth than the
photos on this site express.
The painting is statically discharged to reduce its ability to draw
in pollutants from the surrounding air.
Client is notified of completion of the project, final payments are
made, and the painting is returned to the owner. Copies of 14.1
megapixel photos are available (only to the client) on CD or DVD at an
additional cost (conversion to JPEGs available at an additional
cost).
More Before and After
Conservation vs. Restoration
Conservation is focused upon maintaining the original integrity of
the artist's work. Instances of lost areas of paint and tears in the
canvas are treated differently by restorers. In Conservation the practice
is to inpaint the lost area in such a way that does not make contact or
overlap the original paint and is slightly softer in color than the
original. To correct tears of the canvas in Conservation, a thread by
thread repair is less visible than the standard patch glued to the
backside that is used by restorers. These patches contract and expand
differently than the canvas they are glued to and warp over time. They can
also be difficult to remove without causing damage to the painting.
Conservation practice demands that all areas of work are reversible.
Restorers often overpaint a lost area and blend over the original
painting, many times in ways that are not reversible. To remove the
overpaint from an improperly restored painting to maximize its financial
potential can become extremely expensive. Non-reversible processes can
cause irreversible damage to the surface underneath. Proper Conservation
maintains a painting's integrity and value.
Things you should NEVER do to a painting:
NEVER clean the surface of a painting with soap and water. Oil and
water do not mix and your painting is bound in oil. Detergents will
weaken the paint and water will cause serious damage. A canvas will
tighten when it becomes wet, and oil paint will expand simulating an
"earthquake with movement of the plates" which causes the now cracked
painting to shear away from the canvas and drop to the floor below.
NEVER dust with a feather duster, they leave a static charge
that draws in even more dirt and pollutants.
NEVER touch the surface of a painting with your fingers. The oil
from your flesh left behind continues to grab pollutants from the
air and will visibly darken the painting over time.
NEVER wipe the surface with spittle on your finger, the salts will
eat the surface of the painting over time. The germs and bacteria from
your mouth can also colonize the surface and feast on the painting.
Avoid placing paintings in brightly lit rooms and always avoid
hanging a painting in an area that receives direct sunlight which will
fade the colors.
Avoid placing paintings near heaters or humidifiers. Bacterial growths
attack the organic glues that secure the paint to the panel/canvas as well
as the support.
Things to keep in mind when purchasing a painting
The most important thing you can do to find good paintings
is to look at a great deal of artwork from books, the web, etc. and begin
to understand composition, contrast and color. Squinting your eyes at a
dirty painting can help you to see its contrast levels. What appear to be
dreary looking skies in landscapes are often-times yellowed, dirt infested
areas. Most landscape painters who had to earn a living knew that
depressing skies don't sell, sunny skies do. Keep that in mind.
Look for a painting that amazes you and that you enjoy looking at.
If you were a painter, could you paint as lovely a painting? Craftsmanship
and quality increase value.
Paintings on panel generally stand the tests of time far better
than those painted on canvas.
A painting that has no signature can never achieve the equivalent
value of one that was signed.
Avoid paintings in poor physical condition, unless you know what it
is you are purchasing. Full conservation or restoration can become
costly, think of the overall cost to bring a painting to its full
potential instead of just the pricetag in front of you.
Leninger Fine Art Conservation (503) 234-5469
Cathedral Park Place
6700 N. New York Ave. Suite 232
Portland, Oregon 97203
To Contact via E-mail please type "tvleninger @ hevanet.com"- No
solicitations or spam please.
