Hunter Wood Night Sail Complete

Posted by millerfenwood in Works on Canvas

Since our last post about this painting we have learned the identity of the ship, the Bluenose, as well as the ship in the distance that it’s racing, the Gertrude L. Thebaud. In 1938, W.R. MacAskill actually recorded some of this footage, which the Nova Scotia Archives was kind enough to upload. You can watch it here, runtime is about 5 minutes.

Shellac had originally been used as a varnish for this painting. Over time shellac will become brittle, turn yellow, and attract dirt. A 4-stage cleaning effort was carried out to remove the shellac, clean the painting, and then finally apply a coat of conservation varnish. The original frame was in good condition, and it paired well with the painting so it was kept and touched-up in some of its problems areas, mostly the edges, where we redid the gesso and gilding, and married it to the original.

Oceanscape by Christine Sullivan

Posted by millerfenwood in Custom Frames

Stemming from a purchase at the Oils By the Sea Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts, a collector wished for a similar but larger oil painting by the same artist, Christine Sullivan. Sullivan is an artist we are very happy to have worked with extensively in the past, helping to frame her artwork, including the painting that fostered this commission.

Before the global economy, this was how much of the art world operated: a dealer brought together a buyer’s taste with an artist’s ability to create something very unique and tailored. A creative relationship was formed that was tied together by one more entity: the frame maker.

Due to Sullivan’s strong and developed style, and because the buyer enjoyed the frame for the smaller painting, we developed a similar frame called the American Step, and chose a 3-inch width with white gold.

This was a truly fun and rewarding collaboration that we greatly enjoyed and cherished knowing that these opportunities are very rare in today’s art world.

Eduard Manet Etching Man With Jug

Posted by millerfenwood in Works on Paper

 

This wonderful etching from Eduard Manet (1832 – 1883) Man with Jug (Le Buveur d’Eau ou la Regalade) has a few issues going on with it. As is often the case with older works, harmful masking tape was used to adhere it. In this case the damage is more than usual. Around the mat window masking tape was also used, in addition to the usual portions along the outer edges. There is a considerable amount of acid damage in varying stages, which was accelerated by sun damage. Due to the mats used–there were three–different portions of the etching were subject to different amounts of light. Direct sunlight acted as a catalyst for the acid compounds to burn the paper. The good news is that we think the paper is an early Rives paper, which is a French paper and of very good quality, but is laid and linen. The quality should help the condition of the paper rebound once we treat for acid damage.

To fit the etching into the original frame the bottom of the paper was folded. This left a crease and a severe amount of burning. Though the damage could be beyond our control, we will make every effort to save this area. Stay tuned for more . . .

A French painter, Edouard Manet was one of the first nineteenth century artists to approach modern-life subjects, and is considered to have been a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.

In 1850 after serving in the merchant marines, Manet entered the studio of Thomas Couture, studying until 1856. The Old Masters influenced him, particularly Velazquez and Goya.

Throughout his oeuvre Manet painted modern day life, yet many of his paintings have deeper elements than their initial impressions of simple and realistic. His work seems to mimic the contradictions and lack of perspective of himself and Paris during his working career. Always controversial, Manet sought to record the days of his life using his own unique vision. From beggars, to prostitutes, to the bourgeoisie he sought to be true to himself and to reproduce “not great art, but sincere art.”

Edouard Manet died in Paris on April 30, 1883.

Fleur-de-lis watermark shown on reverse.

 

Enamel on Glass 1866

Posted by millerfenwood in Works on Glass

This family heirloom is believed to have been made while the descendants were on the boat, immigrating to the United States. The exact year that is believed to have happened is 1866.

Unfortunately, a heavy amount of dust had gathered on the work. We believe the majority of this came from a wood or coal fire. Many, many cotton tips were used to carefully clean the front and reverse. The artist had used an enamel paint, which we stabilized to help its longevity, and its glossy finish, which is one of the strengths of enamel paints. Some areas had loss, and in those we were able to in-paint and match the colors to the original. The frame was in good shape, and we placed it in a Victorian shadow box frame, which we built, made in the same style with matching fillet and float.

Family objects are one of the things we enjoy working on the most, and love it when we can help restore the condition, and add new significance without detracting from the original aesthetics. This painting will be enjoyed for years to come.