To view an animated Before & After, click here. (Please note - a large file)
.jpg) CCI Photo (Figure 1) Death of General Wolfe, James Barry; Before Treatment The accumulated varnish and toning layers had a significant impact on the appearance of the painting. The lighter areas, such as the sky and flesh tones, appeared dirty and patchy. The illusion of depth and three-dimensionality was diminished as details and subtle nuances of colour and paint handling were obscured. For example, the clouds were virtually indistinguishable before varnish removal and the blue uniforms appeared dark green. .jpg) CCI Photo (Figure 2) Death of General Wolfe; During Treatment Cleaning was undertaken in stages. Even after the upper discolored varnish layers had been removed, the painting still appeared “dirty”. Details and colour nuances remained obscured by the dark, pigmented varnish. .jpg) CCI Photo (Figure 3) Radiography X-radiographs of a painting provide information on the artist’s technique and the condition of the painting that is not visible to the naked eye. This radiograph reveals changes the artist made to the position of Wolfe’s head; note the double nose. Small, black areas, running horizontally in the lower third of the image, reveal areas of paint loss. .jpg) CCI Photo (Figure 4) Infrared Photography Examination of paintings using infrared radiation reveals information about underlying layers such as underdrawings (initial sketches by the artist) and pentimenti (changes made by the artist). This infrared image indicates changes between the feet of the midshipman at the extreme left; alteration of the length of the sword and the presence of a shadowed form suggestive of a rifle butt. (Figure 5, 6a, 6b) Photomicrographs of paint cross-sections Cross-sections of minute samples of paint can provide information crucial to treatment decisions. In addition to providing information on the artist’s technique, cross-sections can provide an indication of which layers are original to the painting and which are later additions. In his own time, Barry gained a reputation for his sound painting technique and his distaste for experimental methods and materials used by his contemporaries. Cross-sections reveal that Barry built up the painting in three stages. On top of the white ground he applied the first paint layer or “dead-colouring”. In the next layer compositional details and variations in tone and hue are added. In the “finishing” stage, final touches such as glazes were added. .jpg) CCI Photo (Figure 5) Cross-section taken from red sash; Incident light photograph Four layers are clearly visible: the white ground, the “dead-colouring, the paint layer with compositional details and the finishing layer (a transparent red glaze). .jpg) CCI Photo (Figure 6a) Cross-sections taken from an area of damage in the background cliff Incident light photograph The white ground and pale green dead-colouring are clearly visible. The upper design layers, varnish and retouching are difficult to distinguish under visible light. .jpg) CCI Photo (Figure 6b) Fluorescent photograph with ultraviolet light excitation When viewed with ultraviolet light, two layers of green retouching (or overpaint), separated by varnish layers, are clearly visible. The varnish layers fluoresce brightly. |
Conservation Treatment of James Barry’s Death of General Wolfe Text by Kim Muir, Debra Daly Hartin, Peter Vogel; Text provided courtesy of the Canadian Conservation Institute and the National Gallery of Canada When James Barry’s Death of General Wolfe arrived at the Canadian Conservation Institute for treatment, a thorough technical examination was undertaken in order to determine the structure, materials and condition of the painting. The painting proved to be quite sound, requiring little structural treatment. However, the appearance of the painting was disfigured by accumulated dirt and discoloured varnish and toning layers applied in previous restorations. The painting had been cleaned in previous restorations; some areas had been cleaned more than others. Such a “nettoyage artistique” is not unusual. The extent of cleaning in specific areas can depend on the importance, tonality and condition of specific areas of the painting. A coherent original varnish was not visible over the surface of the painting though thin, discontinuous resin layers and glazes on the surface of the paint were present. Remnants of a discoloured varnish, left behind after an earlier cleaning, were also detected directly on top of original paint. In a process called lining, the original canvas had been adhered to another supporting fabric. Excessive moisture, heat and pressure often used in nineteenth century linings, had resulted in damage such as flattening of the paint texture, emphasis of the canvas weave and depressions in the paint surface such as the pointed imprint of an iron above the head of the naval officer. Small paint losses and dark accretions had been retouched. In subsequent treatments the painting was “refreshed” several times by the application of new coats of varnish and additional retouching and pigmented varnish layers were applied over damaged areas. Toning varnish with pigments was widely used in 19th century restoration to create a “romantic” golden glow often referred to as “gallery tone”. (Figure 1) Death of General Wolfe, James Barry; Before Treatment In developing a cleaning strategy, extensive research and collaboration were essential. In addition to the technical examination undertaken by CCI conservators, conservation scientists and documentation technologists, conservators and curators from other institutions were also consulted. Technical aids, such as radiography, ultraviolet and infrared light examination and microscopy were used to study materials and construction of the painting. Research into Barry’s painting technique and the treatment of other paintings by Barry, as well as knowledge of the materials and techniques used by his contemporaries, were useful in identifying potential problems that could be encountered during cleaning. Cleaning was undertaken slowly and cautiously. The varnish layers were gradually thinned down. Throughout this process, the appearance and overall tonal balance of the painting were repeatedly reassessed by both conservators and curators to determine how much further to proceed. It became clear that a pigmented varnish applied after the lining, but close to the painting’s surface, was responsible for a dark cast which dominated the appearance of the painting. Where underlying layers permitted, this coating was removed. Where the surface of the painting was in good condition, a thin “skin”of varnish, slightly darkened with black particles, was left intact. Areas in which glazes were present or suspected, such as the red uniforms, the slain native warrior and the dark foreground, were cleaned only minimally.(Figure 2) Death of General Wolfe; During Treatment At the time of the exhibition “The Many Deaths of General Wolfe: Paintings by J ames Barry and Benjamin West,” at the National Gallery of Canada, (December 2000 - March 2001), varnish removal in the foreground area had not been undertaken. Brown glazes in this area presented difficulties for cleaning. Such glazes are difficult to distinguish visually from the dark coatings and are soluble in the same solvents used to remove them. It was decided that, for the exhibition, a varnish would be applied and inpainting would be done. Afterwards, a decision would be made about whether cleaning would continue. After much consideration, it was decided that the painting would benefit from additional cleaning. The recently-applied varnish was removed and the underlying varnish in the foreground area was thinned slightly. Details of the design, subtle colour nuances and a slight brightening of highlights were revealed, resulting in a greater illusion of depth and a better indication of the spatial relationships established by the artist. Removing the extensive overpaint along the bottom edge also revealed more details of the image, such as the blanket covering the native warrior. The origin of the mysterious number “410” placed on the tomahawk pipe is unknown. It is possible it was applied as a collection number and was therefore left in the hope that it will provide a clue to the location of the painting during its missing years. In the final stage of treatment, filling and inpainting of areas of paint loss was undertaken and a natural resin varnish was applied. Structural treatment was minimal. Some distortions in the canvas were relaxed and flattened and the tacking margins were reinforced with additional paper edge strips. The 19thC frame received some treatment. Large areas of discolored bronze overpaint, applied in previous restorations, were thinned down to reduce their visual impact. Missing ornamentation was replaced with cast pieces. Replacement pieces and abraded areas were inpainted to integrate the appearance. Due to extensive, uneven damage and previous aggressive restoration treatment early in its life, the appearance of the painting has been altered dramatically since it was first completed. With the removal of the subsequent obscuring coatings, we are able to better appreciate the portrayal that Barry intended thus reflecting his superior craftsmanship and artistic skill. Treatment of this painting and its frame was truly a team effort involving the collaboration of many individuals: Kim Muir; Advanced Conservation Intern Debra Daly Hartin, Peter Vogel, Helen McKay, Robert Arnold, Alastair Fox; Conservators, CCI Jane Sirois, Elizabeth Moffatt; Conservation Scientists, CCI Jeremy Powell, Carl Bigras; Conservation Documentation Technologists, CCI Andrea Kirkpatrick, New Brunswick Museum; Catherine Johnston, National Gallery of Canada, Gilbert Gignac, National Archives of Canada; Curatorial advice. |
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