If you remember many different cleaning agents were tested to determine which one would be
most effective at removing the accumulated surface grime and enable access to the varnish.
Ultimately, a protease enzyme cleaner proved to be not only the best at removing the grime
but also one of the more gentle and safest solutions.
Working in small areas with a cotton swab the cleaner is applied and the surface grime
agitated until it is released and can be removed from the painting.
This enzyme cleaner, while very effective at breaking down the proteins in the grime
will have no effect on the natural resin varnish.
Even though the enzyme cleaner will never reach the paint layer it's still important
to proceed with the utmost care just in case something unexpected arises or the cleaning
must be halted.
In the case of this painting the accumulated surface grime is a fairly thin layer and quite
easily removed, this is not always true and sometimes the use of stiff brushes is necessary
to break up the grime and facilitate its removal.
The client was able to inform that the painting was displayed in a room that saw much cigar
and pipe smoking and posited that much of the surface grime would be from that exposure.
With the grime fully removed and the varnish layer now exposed it too can be lifted off
the painting.
Working with cotton swabs and in areas of like colors limits the chance that an area
of different pigment will accidentally be altered or damaged.
Different colors, brands of paint, or even paint applications can have different reactions
to the same solvent and so by isolating areas of like color and painting technique we can
enable more control.
It is not uncommon for multiple solution mixtures of varying strengths to be used to clean the
same painting.
In addition, if the cleaning needs to be halted for any reason having minimal exposure is
of great benefit.
Again, the anecdotal evidence from the owners was very helpful in determining approximately
when the painting was last conserved and with some research the common materials and techniques
used at that time were easily identified thus making their removal less guesswork and much
easier.
Positive air pressure in the studio as well as protective gloves and respirators are used
to limit the conservator's exposure.
Special care is always afforded to the signature, which in this instance appears to have suffered
during the last cleaning.
Overly aggressive cleaning, or the use of inappropriate solvents can result in the skinning
of the painting and signatures are particularly vulnerable, as artist will often thin their
paints with solvents to increase flow and facilitate easier writing, resulting in less
binder material.
It's not uncommon when a signature is very faint or delicate for the old varnish to only
be partially removed, as it is always safer to err on the side of a conservative approach.
While the paints on this painting are all quite stable and not at any specific risk,
it's still best practice to move slowly and work in contained areas.
The removal of an old varnish layer may be easy and straightforward as in this instance,
or quite complicated and require several days if not weeks of labor.
Unconventional surface coatings can present unique difficulties, particularly if they
are not meant to be reversible or not designed as a painting varnish.
With approximately half the painting cleaned we can start to see just how discolored the
old varnish was and the impact that it and the surface grime had on the colors.
While the use of solvents and swabs is extremely effective at removing the old varnish it may
not always be 100% successful.
Often when the impasto is heavy the old varnish can pool in the nooks and crannies of the
paint and be difficult to access with swab.
In those instances mechanical means of removal are employed.
Using scalpels and dental tools the old varnish can be scraped, picked, and chipped out of
those areas.
The use of magnification either via loop or microscope when necessary enables a clearer
view of the paint structure ensuring that only the varnish is removed.
With all of the surface grime and old varnish removed and the painting fully cleaned we
can see what a difference it makes.
While it may be misunderstood to be a patina, many old paintings are simply dirty and revealing
the true palette is always breathtaking.