Conservation

PAFA works to “conserve”— that is, care for and restore — the works in its renowned collection. Here we present case studies about the process and techniques used for a range of materials, from paintings and frames to sculptures and prints.

Questions?

Contact the Chief Conservator, Aella Diamantopoulos, at 215-972-2065 or ADiamantopoulos@pafa.org.

Case Study 1:

Conservation of the painting George III, ca. 1761-62, by Sir Allan Ramsay

History of This Work

The full-length image of George III (1738-1820) by Sir Allan Ramsay and his studio is based upon the artist's 1760 coronation portrait (in the Royal Collection); the king was then twenty-two years old and married to Charlotte, a German princess.  It represents the authority of England's constitutional monarch, ruler of the world's largest empire, which included the American colonies.

This version was commissioned by the Penn family (as part of a series of British monarchs from 1688 on) but was never sent to Pennsylvania because of the growing political unrest. It remained at the Penn estate, Stoke Park in Buckinghampshire, until the family's estate sale in London.

Storage and Condition Prior to Conservation

Joseph Harrison purchased the painting and brought it to Philadelphia in the 1870s. His widow Sarah gave the work to PAFA in 1878, and it hung in Independence Hall until 1927. Since then, it has been stored in the vaults at PAFA.

The painting was in a vulnerable condition, not having received conservation attention for many decades. The paint suffered from numerous areas of loss and active flaking, and legibility of the paint layers was marred by a deeply discolored varnish layer.  

Treatment

Aella Diamantopoulos, Chief Conservator at PAFA, carried out the conservation by removing years of accumulated dirt, grime, overpaint, and varnish. She undertook a major treatment in order to return the image—as much as was safe and possible—to the luminous range of colors the artist intended.

Ms. Diamantopoulous treated the painting in the controlled environment of PAFA's conservation studio and lab. Closer inspection revealed that the appearance of the painting had been severely diminished by a discolored varnish that undermined the tonal effects and color balance of the composition.  The cleaning process proved to be more complex and time-consuming than originally anticipated.  

Removal of the discolored varnish resulted in a dramatic improvement in the painting's appearance. This varnish was not an original layer (applied by the artist) but the addition of a subsequent restorer, probably in the late 19th century. Despite the painting’s considerable age, the paint layers were in very good condition.  

The yellowed layer of varnish and areas of previous restoration were removed with mild mixtures of organic solvents. A thin, isolating layer of varnish was then applied prior to the filling and retouching phases of areas of damage and abrasion in the paint film.

The retouching of the losses was achieved by filling the areas of loss with a putty and then using dry pigments that were ground by hand into a stable, synthetic resin. As with all aspects of conservation, this process is designed to be stable and reversible and applied in a manner as to be largely invisible; future conservators will easily be able to remove all areas of retouching without affecting the original paint. The treatment was completed by a thin, sprayed layer of protective varnish.

Results

This major conservation project has resulted in a significant improvement in the appearance of this full-length image of George III. Consolidating the areas of paint loss and flaking paint has ensured the future structural stability of the painting, and removing a darkened and opaque varnish layer has made possible a better understanding of the artist's compositional clarity and subtle use of color. Free of discolored varnish and crude overpainting that was applied in early attempts at restoration, the appearance of Ramsay's picture has been transformed.