Category Archives: Works on Canvas

Thomas Locker Landscape and American Krasner Modernist Frame

Posted by millerfenwood in Custom Frames, Works on Canvas

This painting by Thomas Locker (1937-2012) suffered from surface contaminates, small tears and holes, a brittle canvas, areas in the paint film that had risen, and areas of paint loss.

To solidify the foundation the painting was placed on an aluminum panel. Treatments of hydration and consolidation then returned the lifted portions of paint film to their original plane. Holes and tears were mended and then in-painted to conceal them. Areas of paint loss were also in-painted. Due to the increased depth of the aluminum panel, a cradle was added to allow the painting to sit in its frame, which is a new custom and hand-carved frame in the American Krasner Modernist style. The frame has double panels and was double-gilded with white gold. An archival fit finished the restoration.

Ship Painting and Dutch 17th Century Frame

Posted by millerfenwood in Frame Restoration, Works on Canvas

This ship painting suffered from dirt particulates and a dry canvas. After it was de-fit and carefully cleaned it was relined onto archival linen. 

The frame is a wonderful Dutch 17th century ripple-carved frame in black lacquer that suffered from areas of loss. We we in-filled those and then color-matched through lacquer. Fillets were added behind the liner to properly and archivally fit the painting.

There is a signature on the bottom right but it is unfortunately not legible.

Guy Wiggins Landscape: Sunset Lyme Conn Finished

Posted by millerfenwood in Custom Frames, Works on Canvas

This oil on canvas by Guy Carleton Wiggins (1883-1962) suffered from dirt particulates across the surface, a dry and brittle canvas, and craquelures across the surface.

The painting was carefully removed from its stretcher bar, and the front and reverse carefully cleaned. New Belgian linen was adhered to the canvas in a heat press. This added much needed foundational strength as well as the added benefit of consolidating the craquelures. Additional hydration, to coax the craquelures back into the paint film, was administered following this stage. In-fill and in-painting concealed these areas. Conservation varnish finished the restoration.

A custom hand carved American Impressionist frame was created, gilded with 22k, and an archival fit given for the painting.

Before and After

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot Landscape

Posted by millerfenwood in Works on Canvas

This landscape by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875) has dirt particulates across the surface. Early cleaning tests indicate that it is primarily a kind of coal or soot contaminate. But the remarkable thing is that the painting was not executed on canvas, but rather on silk. The surface is smooth and sublime, and will be a joy to work on; and aside from the surface contaminates the artwork is in rather good shape considering its age. The frame has damage to one of its corner on the underside. Stay tuned fore more…

The son of a Parisian shopkeeper, the young Corot was hired as a salesman by a cloth merchant, despite his evident gift for drawing.  Clearly lacking an aptitude for business, he was already twenty-six when his father gave him an allowance so that he could devote himself entirely to his vocation.

Studying with A. Michallon, with whom he painted his first landscapes in the Forest of Fontainebleau, and then with Victor Bertin, he took his first trip to Italy in 1825.  There he enjoyed the friendship of Caruelle d’Aligny and Edouard Bertin who shared his passion for painting from nature.  On his return three years later, he adopted a pattern of work, which he maintained throughout his life, of painting in his Paris studio during the winter and devoting the summer to traveling in France, interrupted by frequent visits to Ville d’Avray, Chailly and Barbizon.

From spring to autumn, he lived with his parents at Ville d’Avray.  He worked in the mornings and evenings, capturing the light and atmosphere of his favorite times of day.  He was an extremely kind and generous man much loved by his fellow artists, whom he was always ready to help with money and advice.

During his long career he became one of the most celebrated artists of his generation and exerted tremendous influence on the painters of the Impressionist movement.  He was awarded numerous medals and the coveted Legion of Honor in 1846.  Acknowledged as the world’s foremost landscape painter, fame did not spoil the simplicity of his character.  His work can be found in important public collections around the world.