Before and after: early 19th century painting
Cleaning a painting with smoking paraphernalia
This historical significant still life painting has gotten a faded appearance through the years because of damage to the brittle, 19th century shellack lacquer. The lacquer fractured in many microscopic small fragments, comparable with a fractured mirror, causing the light to fracture, creating a misty haze. The reason that this happened remains uncertain, it could have something to do with the recipe that the artist used or perhaps the oil paints drying time was not respected causing the lacquer to break.
Usually it goes down hill from there because people tend to move a painting like that to a different part of the house, perhaps the attic or the cellar, which only makes the damage more extensive.
The old lacquer was was removed, damages and scratches were repaired and retouched and a new lacquer of lacquer was applied. The work instantly looked fresh, while still maintaining that classic antique appearance. Also notice the fantastic ‘Baardkruik’ in this scene.
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