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Easel painting conservation

Mainly oils on canvas, but also paintings on panel or on board. Every treatment is decided after a condition report, and only if it benefits the painting.

01 · Surface

Cleaning: surface dirt and varnish removal

Over time, dust, smoke and above all yellowed varnish build a veil that dulls the colours and flattens the contrasts. Surface cleaning removes the grime; thinning or removing the varnish gives the painting back the light the artist intended.

What we do

Surface cleaning: dust, smoke deposits, fly specks
Solubility tests beforehand, area by area
Varnish thinning or full removal, depending on the varnish and the sensitivity of the colours
Removal of old, discoloured overpaint where justified
Final protective varnish with UV filter

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Still life with fruit during varnish removal: yellowed, grimy varnish on the left, the blues of the plums and the white dish recovered on the right. — Varnish removal in progress on a still life: yellowed varnish on the left, recovered colours on the right.

02 · Support

Tear repair

A tear, a hole or a loss weakens the canvas and the paint around it. We stabilise the support, then fill the losses so that the retouching can sit on them without spreading onto the original.

What we do

Thread-by-thread mending of the tear from the back
Canvas patch or inlay for holes
Consolidation of the weakened paint around the tear
Filling of losses, levelled and textured to match the surface

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Village landscape with a church tower, losses filled in white, ready for retouching. — Losses filled and levelled, before the colours are reintegrated.

03 · Support

Flattening

A knock, rolled storage or excess humidity deform the canvas: dents, creases, buckling, stretcher bars showing in relief. Flattening gives the painting a plane surface again, through slow, controlled use of humidity, heat and pressure.

What we do

Diagnosis of the deformation: support, ground or paint layer
Local flattening of dents and creases, from the back
Overall treatment under weights or vacuum, with controlled humidity and temperature
Facing of the paint layer beforehand when it is fragile

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Old portrait of a young woman with flowers, buckled canvas, before flattening. — Buckled canvas before treatment. To be replaced by a before / after pair from the studio.

04 · Stretcher

Re-tensioning

A canvas that goes slack vibrates, deforms and lets the paint move. Re-tensioning gives it a stable seat again, on the original stretcher when it allows, or on a new keyed stretcher when the old one is broken, worm-eaten or fixed.

What we do

Re-stretching on the existing stretcher, with keys fitted or replaced
Replacement with a keyed stretcher when the old one no longer works
Strip-lining glued to the back when the tacking margins are too short or too fragile
Hanging advice for lasting tension

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Framed old paintings hanging on the studio wall. — Re-tensioned paintings awaiting collection. To be replaced by a photo of a keyed stretcher from the back.

05 · Paint layer

Consolidation

When the paint detaches from its ground or from the canvas, every handling drops a little more of it. Consolidation lays the flakes and lifting paint back down with a reversible adhesive and gentle heat, before any other treatment.

What we do

Mapping of lifting areas in raking light
Infiltration of a reversible adhesive under the flakes
Laying down with a temperature-controlled heated spatula
General consolidation of the paint layer when it is powdery

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Temperature-controlled heated spatula resting on a canvas to consolidate the paint layer. — Consolidation with the heated spatula, at controlled temperature.

06 · Support

Relining

When the original canvas is rotten, too torn or too brittle, it can no longer carry the paint. Relining glues a new canvas to the back with a reversible adhesive, to give the painting a sound support again. It is a major treatment, reserved for the cases that require it.

What we do

Assessment of the canvas and of lighter alternatives (strip-lining, partial lining)
Facing of the paint layer during the treatment
Lining with a reversible adhesive, under controlled pressure
Remounting on a keyed stretcher and re-tensioning

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Studio worktable, a painting resting on a table easel. — The worktable where linings are done. To be replaced by a photo of a relining in progress.

07 · Paint layer

Retouching

Retouching comes last. It concerns the losses only, never the original paint. We match the painter’s colours and handling so that the reintegration blends into the work, while remaining identifiable up close and reversible.

What we do

Invisible reintegration of the filled losses
Retouching in watercolour, gouache or conservation colours, depending on the painting’s technique
Pure pigments and stable binders, chosen not to discolour over time
Final varnish, then checking under different lights

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Detail of a portrait: painted necklace, with a loss and a darkened old retouch circled during the condition report. — Loss and old retouch identified during the condition report, before inpainting.

Vocabulary

The words of the condition report

The ones you will read in our estimate and our report.

Condition report: Examination of the painting before treatment: support, ground, paint layer, varnish. It is the basis of the estimate.
Bloom: Milky veil on a varnish altered by humidity. Treated by regeneration or varnish removal.
Loss: Missing paint showing the ground or the canvas. It is filled, then reintegrated.
Lifting: Flake of paint detaching from its support. It is consolidated before any other treatment.
Filling: A loss filled with a putty levelled with the paint, ready to receive the retouching.
Reintegration: Retouching of the losses only, in the tone of the original, never covering the old paint.
Lining: Reinforcing canvas glued to the back of the original. Relining is its complete form.
Stretcher keys: Small wooden wedges slipped into the corners of the stretcher to tighten the canvas without un-tacking it.
Overpaint: Old retouching, often spreading or darkened, which can be thinned or removed.

Frequently asked questions

Before entrusting us with a painting

What kinds of damage do you treat?

Tears, grime and yellowed varnish, cracks and lifting paint, canvas deformations, losses and discoloured colours on the easel paintings entrusted to us. For frames and works on paper, we refer you to colleagues.

Do the treatments alter the original work?

No. Our treatments follow strict rules: minimal intervention to respect the authenticity of the work, and reversibility of every operation. Retouching touches the losses only.

How much does a restoration cost?

It depends on the size of the painting and on the treatments needed. After the appointment and the thorough examination of the painting at the studio, we send you a detailed, free estimate without obligation within a few days.

How long does it take?

From a few weeks for a simple cleaning to several months for a full restoration, because of drying times between steps. The lead time is stated on the estimate.

Do I need an appointment to bring a painting?

Yes, preferably: book online during opening hours, so that we can take the time to examine it with you. The studio is open Monday to Saturday, 10am–1:30pm and 3pm–7pm. You receive a confirmation email.

Do you restore family paintings of little market value?

Yes. The value of a painting also lies in what it means to you. We then propose the fairest treatment for its condition and your budget.

Appointment at the studio

Bring your painting for a free examination and estimate

Thorough examination at the studio, by appointment, and a written estimate without obligation.

Book an appointment

Online slot, during the studio’s opening hours.
Confirmation by email, right away.
Free estimate, without obligation.