Upon seeing the painting after conservation my client wisely decided that addressing the
frame would not only be prudent but be of great benefit to the painting as well. Having
installed the painting into the frame with brackets and screws, the removal was easy
and didn't subject the painting to any unnecessary stress. Before any work could begin on the
front of the frame attention must first be paid to the back. All of the old hanging hardware
was removed as its functionality and security was highly questionable. In addition the back
of the frame needed to be fully cleaned of the old paper tape and glue residues before
the actual conservation could begin. This paper is often applied to make the back of
the frame appear tidy but serves no functional purpose and is just messy to deal with. With
the frame construction now revealed the disassembly could begin. The liner was removed as per
my client's request the linen would not be replaced, rather it would be gilded to match
the frame. After stripping and disassembling the liner the old glue needed to be removed
as well. As this was white glue a chemical stripper was needed to remove the adhesive
and as the chemicals are toxic a full face respirator is essential. While all of this
may seem excessive, crafting a new liner was unnecessary and trying to reuse the original
if possible is always best. With the frame disassembled the work on the
front could now begin. At one point in the past the frame was gessoed over and glazed
in white and brown paint. This was probably done as styles changed and the original frame
seemed out of fashion. Luckily for us the quality of the work was low and the original
shellac never removed so the gesso didn't form a very strong bond to the frame and with
a bit of labor it can be removed. Using a stiff nylon brush along with other tools the
paint and gesso layer was chipped, scraped, flaked and manipulated off the surface of
the frame. Water, alcohol and enzyme cleaner were all used to remove the gesso residue
and remaining bits of shellac. Making sure that all of the contaminates were fully removed
from the gold leaf was essential as a pure surface is necessary for re-gilding and the
other work to come. Using a stiff bristle brush and soft towels to remove the residues
allows the intensity of the original gold to come into full view.
The stability of the ornamentation is checked as over time it can become detached from the
wood molding and lost. When a loose piece is found it's removed and set aside until
it can be rebounded with the wood using a stable conservation adhesive. Luckily no molding
was lost and no casting was needed.
The liner was reassembled, glued, and clamped together in preparation for planing and sanding.
All of this is done to ensure that the surface of the wood is smooth and free of imperfection
and ready to accept the new gesso layer. To make the gesso a high strength hide glue
is combined with water, allowed to sit and swell, heated, strained and then combined
with guilders whiting, mixed and strained until creamy smooth. Normally rabbit skin
glue is used but in this case as the liner will have to be distressed the extra strength
of the hide glue is warranted. Up to eight thin coats of gesso will be successively
applied to the wood. The gesso can be brushed on as in this case or sprayed for a larger
scale of work. Once dry it will be sanded smooth in preparation for the application
of the bole. Like the gesso the bole will be applied in many thin layers and eventually
wet sanded, buffed and polished to a smooth surface. Again, this can be sprayed when the
surface is highly sculpted or there are many frames requiring this step.
Once the bole is smooth and polished the gilding can begin. The first step is to apply a size
and in this case an oil product is being used as opposed to a water, alcohol, or rabbit
skin glue option due to its long open time, extra durability and frankly forgiveness.
A suede gilders pad receives the delicate 23 karat Italian leaf and it's then cut with
a gilding knife to manageable sizes. A gilders tip brush of natural animal hair with a slight
static charge will pick up the leaf enabling its placement onto the tacky size. The leaf
is pressed into the size and allowed to sit. A mop or other soft haired brush is used to
press the leaf into the size and remove the extra gold which can be saved for later use.
At this point the liner is ready for distressing and toning to match the original frame. Using
high tech tools such as tape and sandpaper the surface of the liner is distressed and
worked in an effort to match the state of the original frame. The toning of the gold
is done with blonde shellac and pigment dyes. Successive layers of shellac can be applied,
removed, and otherwise worked until the tone and appearance of the gold matches the original.
Other substances such as pumice or rottenstone are used to simulate dust and dirt. In addition
to toning the liner the client desired to have the intensity of the gold brought down
a bit so the entire surface of the frame is tinted as well.
Matte milk paint is mixed to a neutral tone and applied to the edges of the frame where
no gilding was added. Acid free cotton rag paper is cut and applied
to the part of the liner rabbet that makes contact with the paint to protect it.
The painting can now be installed into the conserved frame using brackets and screws
and new hanging hardware installed ensuring the this frame will remain where is should;
firmly on the wall. And now to go along with the conserved painting
we have the frame fully restored. Midway through the cleaning of the frame I invited my client
in to the studio to view the state of the gold and after discussing the options including
a full stripping we decided that the condition of the leaf wasn't such that it was visually
problematic and that all new leaf wasn't necessary. My client wasn't bothered by the wear to the
leaf and felt that it added something to the frame and painting. The choice to tone down
the intensity of the gold was, in my opinion a wise one as it allows the frame to be brilliant
without dominating the painting.