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In twenty fourteen we sent a handful of paintings from Nostell Priory for conservation.
Our House Team and specialist movers, Constantine, take down, pack and transport the paintings
to Gillian Walker's studio.
Gillian begins work by removing the paintings from their frames.
Lucy cleans between the canvas and the stretcher,
vacuums the back of the canvas,
and uses a smoke sponge to remove fine dust and dirt.
It's important that the canvas is adequately tensioned, so the stretcher keys are checked,
then drilled and tied in place to ensure they can't move or fall out.
A bump in the canvas has been cause by an old repair on the back of the painting.
The old fabric patch was stuck to the canvas with animal glue.
Lucy uses tweezers and a scalpel to remove it.
Then moisture, gentle heat and pressure is used to flatten the canvas.
Elsewhere the canvas is torn and fragments of thread are missing,
Lucy uses welding powder and heat to glue in linen threads that she has cut to match
the frayed weave.
She smooths the repair with a heated spatula.
Finally the back of the tear is covered with a lightweight and flexible nylon patch,
and it's time for some more gentle ironing.
With the back of the tear stabilised, Lucy can complete the repair from the front.
More welding powder is used to bond the canvas,
and Champagne chalk filler is used to fill the tear and other losses acrosses the canvas.
Lucy uses a scalpel to texture the fillings, so that the surface perfectly matches the
brush strokes around her repairs.
Years of dirt and layers of old varnish make the paintings dull and yellowy brown.
As Eeva cleans the portrait of Edward Henshaw, at least three types of filler and much over-painting
is revealed.
Once cleaned a painting gets an isolating layer of varnish brushed on
before in-painting begins.
Making a barrier between the original painting and any new retouchings.
Eeva in-paints large areas of losses across the painting.
While work is carried out on the paintings, the frames also get some TLC. They are sent
to Mike Howden, a specialist frame conservator
he cleans them
then uses watercolours to overpaint any chips and losses to the carved frames.
The cleaned frame is protected by an over wash
and the frame rebate lined with brown paper tape.
Back at Gillian's studio felt tape and balsa wood spacers are added to the frame ready
to receive the canvas.
Brass strips secure the painting and a protective film is added to the back of the frame.
Lucy wraps them using acid free tissue, ribbon and plenty of bubble wrap for their safe return
to Nostell.
After nearly two months away, the paintings return to Nostell Priory
and are rehung in the Billiard Room ready for you to come and admire them.