Artists, Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Useful articles
Welcome to our latest edition of regional artists. This week we are heading to the southern region of Cornwall to explore a rich history of Cornish artists and art schools including St Ives and Newlyn. Above: a detail from an illustration of The Lion Rock from Views in Cornwall by Thomas Rowlandson, 1812 If you… Read more »
Guides and Advice, Latest News, Useful articles, Watercolour, Works On Paper
Watercolour paintings are one of the most frequent genres of art to visit our studio. Their materials and display location are often the cause of this, with many antique and modern pieces succumbing to moisture, foxing and discolouration over a long period of time. But what can be done to prevent these issues? And how… Read more »
Ceramics, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Specialist Items, Useful articles
Welcome to our conservation curiosity series, this week we are looking into the world of miniature Japanese sculptures known as netsuke. These unassuming figurines have been known to fetch six figures at auction, but are not often recognised by the untrained eye. Above: a selection of antique netsuke carved in ivory, wood and lacquer Typically… Read more »
Ceramics, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Specialist Items, Useful articles
The collection of artwork housed by a church, abbey or cathedral can be diverse in both age and medium. Some of the most contrasting pieces are statues, from mediaeval wooden carvings to modern fibreglass figures. Above: from left to right, a stone apostle from 1440-50, ‘The Miracle of the Palm Tree’ from 1490-1510, Virgin and… Read more »
Guides and Advice, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Restoration stories, Useful articles
Often in the course of restoration our conservators find hidden areas that have been overshadowed by discolouration or darkened varnish for decades. This was certainly the case with a painting by American illustrator Dean Cornwell that recently came to our studio. The dramatic scene is from a 1918 book entitled The Valley of the Giants… Read more »
Guides and Advice, Latest News, Useful articles, Works On Paper
Our studio cares for a wide range of artworks, including traditional prints in monochrome and colour. Lithographs are popular as both an antique and contemporary medium, from Eugene Delacroix in the 1820s to David Hockney in the 1970s. Their value as a limited edition or rare print may be substantial, with some lithographs reaching six… Read more »
Antique Furniture, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Useful articles
The craftsmanship of wooden furniture is full of centuries old tradition, including the development of decorative veneer surfaces. A veneer is in simple terms a very thinly sliced piece of wood, often selected due to its grain or colour. In some cases, the correct identification of veneer work can help you to explore the era,… Read more »
Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Miniatures, Specialist Items, Useful articles
Our conservation curiosities series will give you a quick insight into some of the most unusual and unique pieces you’ll come across in auction rooms and antique shops around the world. This week we are looking at snuff boxes and the miniature artworks that adorn them. What is a snuff box? Snuff was a smokeless… Read more »
Artwork Analysis, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Useful articles
Many paintings that come to our studio have been in a family for decades, hanging on a wall of a home as a mysterious piece that has simply always been there. Others may have been recently purchased at an auction or antique shop, leaving the new owner to question its origin and age. Due to… Read more »
There are many choices to consider when framing your paper artwork, from which glass to use to the more decorative elements. Not only is it important to display your painting, drawing or print in a conservation safe manner, but to elevate the beauty and importance of the piece an appropriate mount. Our conservators create washlines… Read more »
Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Specialist Items, Useful articles
This is our new series giving you a quick insight into some of the most unusual and unique pieces you may come across in auction rooms and antique shops around the world. We will look into how these precious pieces can be sensitively restored without harming their historic value. This article will look into the… Read more »
Many people found the recent scenes of soup being thrown at priceless artworks shocking. Many assumed that without glass to protect the artwork, it could be lost forever or damaged beyond repair. Perhaps surprisingly, this may not always be the case. As long as the painting is stable, varnished and quickly seen to by professional… Read more »
Case Studies, Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Restoration stories, Useful articles
The Dutch golden age allowed landscapes to become an admired genre that was no longer practised simply as a backdrop to a historical or biblical scene. Views of the Netherlands did not have to be full of allegory to produce a compelling composition, the mass urbanisation of the country in the 17th century created an… Read more »
Education & Training, Guides and Advice, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Useful articles
In September 2022, we hosted the Modular Cleaning Programme (MCP) workshop in our Carlisle studio. Thirty-five conservators from around the world participated in a week long course led by Chris Stavroudis, a scientist and art conservator based in Los Angeles. It was an exciting and valuable educational experience for all involved. What is the Modular… Read more »
Artwork Analysis, Case Studies, Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Useful articles
One of the most frequent reasons for painting restoration is discolouration of the surface. Whilst there are many factors that can lead to a dark or distorted appearance, fireplace smoke is often involved. Over the course of their life, historic artworks have usually been in one or more locations with an open fire. Historic interiors… Read more »
Every year we like to celebrate the diverse and wonderful restoration work that has been completed in our studio. The most memorable pieces often have stories and a lot of hard work behind them, so we have asked our office team and conservators to tell us about their favourite projects of 2022. Wik is a… Read more »
Case Studies, Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Useful articles
Oil paintings are made up of several layers, often these cannot be seen by the untrained eye but nevertheless disturb the original intention of the artist. Surface contamination, discoloured and darkened varnish and the historic build-up within crevices can all make a remarkable visual difference when they are sensitively removed. Historic oil paintings may have… Read more »
Case Studies, Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Restoration stories, Useful articles
Our team loves nothing more than being able to delve into the history of each artwork that comes into our studio. Every so often, we are greeted by a familiar face from British history – royalty and aristocracy, soldiers and lawmakers. However, some of these are more infamous than others, as was the case with… Read more »
Case Studies, Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Oil Paintings, Useful articles
Many of the paintings that we receive in our studio are copies of some of the greatest paintings in human history. This was very much the case for a recent conservation project that would reveal hidden figures in a darkened copy of Rembrandt’s De Nachtwacht – also known as The Nightwatch or it’s much longer,… Read more »
Contemporary Art, Guides and Advice, History Of Art, Latest News, Restoration stories, Useful articles
The artwork that we hold dear to us may not only visually represent the past, but bring with it the personality and philosophy of the person who created it. This was the case with a large collection of paintings that came to our attention following a devastating flood. The artist was our client’s husband, actor… Read more »
