Conservation-Restoration of a 19th Century Watercolour
This watercolour was painted in the 19th century in imitation of an Old Master painting.
Brief Condition Report
The object suffered a number of damages, including brown discolouration of the paper and ingrained soiling, as well as numerous small abrasions, folded corners and two small tears. Water damage is evidenced by the presence of tidelines. One particularly strong tideline was seen to fluoresce yellow under UV-light, which might indicate that paint, likely yellow and/or green from the nearby tree, was solubilised and re-deposited. It is frequently not easy to distinguish silverfish damage from intentionally scratched out areas, a technique used to create highlights. Interestingly, silverfish damages appear to have been predominantly retouched in a previous restoration effort. By comparing this copy to the original painting, areas of scratching out vs damages could be identified, and it could be observed that the original greens and yellows of the painting have now faded, leaving a two-tone rendition of the image. Colours apparently used may include umber, sienna, venetian red, and cobalt. The painted surface is also mechanically unstable and exhibits a craquelure effect in thickly painted areas.
Brief Treatment Report
The watercolour was removed from the old mount, which was not considered original or significant to the object. The object could then be surface cleaned, and metallic inclusions in the paper were mechanically removed. The watercolour was washed face-up using a capillary washing technique. The system was repeated twice and efficiently and visibly solubilised and moved discolouration, as well as reduced the pH of the substrate. The area of the sky was treated locally with hydrogen peroxide to brighten the area in a controlled way. The object was then resized over an interleaving layer using a weak gelatine solution. Tears were repaired and creased reinforced on the verso using a thin Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste. The object was then retouched on the recto using pastel and watercolour, with particular attention to tears, creases, and the tideline located in the sky. To finish, Japanese paper tabs were added to the upper edge of the verso and the object was remounted on a fresh museum-grade mount board.
