This pastoral landscape by Edwin Cole (1868-c.1935) suffered from a dry linen that had led to paint loss in one area, as well as dirt particulates across the surface. The original frame in a Louis XV  style, had suffered structural and ornamental losses.

New linen improved the foundational strength of the painting, and in-fill and in-painting concealed the area of loss. Deep and careful cleaning had a dramatic effect on the colors, enriching them back to their original shades. The frame was cleaned, backed-up, and re-fortified to return its structural stability. The degradation of the ornamentation was left as is, per the customer’s bidding.

Edwin Cole was born in Shrewsbury in 1868, the son of artists T.W. Cole and Mary Elizabeth Lewis. Be is best known for landscapes and Shropshire scenes. He began his career as an heraldic artist and painter of church windows, but then became Shrewsbury’s most successful painter. Several works of his are in the National Collection, including Untitled Landscape (Shrewsbury Museum), Lloyd’s Mansion (Shrewsbury Museum) and Abbey Church from West, 1886 (Shrewsbury Museum).