Fire, Smoke and Water Damaged Paintings
by Cheryle A. Harrison
Canadian Pacific Conservators, Vancouver, BC
Fire, Smoke and Water Damaged Paintings (2001),
Painting - BEFORE
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Scorched, drenched and distorted - the first sight of this painting brought forth a sympathetic sigh. Dating from the late 1800s, and painted by the Pre-Raphaelite painter, Gabriel Max, this large artwork had come from England to a luxurious resort on the coast of Oregon. A fire ended the resort, all contents were sold and scattered, and the building demolished for a parking lot. The painting and its original carved frame made its way through the decades to a junk shop and finally, to its present. The scorched and blackened surface of the painting needed a gifted eye to envision its distinctive beauty and hidden value.
St Cecilia, the patron saint of music is depicted in a classically draped garment leaning against a carved stone pediment. This dramatic narrative has suffered a long list of concerns including, burnt areas, tears, old patches, overpainting, stretcher bar imprints, and cracking. Paint and ground layers lifted away from the painting's canvas, resulting in tenting and losses of paint. Soot, grime, staining, bloom, and a discoloured varnish, visually disfigured the image so that it was dark and hidden. The painting had been previously lined with a layer of fabric affixed to the backside. An undulating appearance of the canvas support, known as distortion, was a structural reaction to extreme changes in environment; the heat of fire and the water used to quench it. The structural treatment of the artwork included, the injection of adhesive behind flaking paint and re-positioning these paint layers to their original locations. The weak old lining fabric and its adhesive was removed from the verso side of the original canvas support. Of prime concern were the stains disfiguring the image of St Cecilia. The goal was to revive the original paint layer, and insure that no inpainting or reconstruction would be required in these areas. Solvent and humidification treatments eased the distortion, and the staining was reverted. The structural treatment included a new lining and a procedure to strengthen the bonds between layers of the paint, ground, and canvas. Small areas of paint loss were filled and minimally inpainted to museum standards.
Fire, Smoke and Water Damaged Paintings (2001),
Painting - AFTER |
The cleaning of the painting occurred in stages, as solutions, gels, and intermixtures were made to suit individual requirements. A specific solution was used to remove the soot and grime. The old varnish had served its purpose and helped to protect the paint surface. A special intermixture removed the discoloured varnish and non-original overpainting. At the completion of the treatment, a reversible varnish was applied for continued protection. The ornate frame was repaired and re-gilded by Brian Dedora of The Workshop. The increased value and the composition of the painting were re-discovered, as the Saint's garment regained its delicate folds, her musical instrument reappeared, and the artist's signature was exposed. When the broken shillelagh representing her martyrdom was cleaned, an inscription was uncovered - Saint Cecilia became St. Caecilliac.
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