CONSERVATION REPORT: John Padmore

The Institution of Civil Engineers

Lucía Muñoz-Barrena Fine art restorer

London February 2015

IDENTIFICATION DETAILS

Painting technique/Media: Oil (untested) on canvas.

Institution of Civil Engineers No.: 1426
Artist: Unknown
Title: John Padmore
Date: Early 18th century
Owner: Institution of Civil Engineers 1 Great George
Street, London SW1P 3AA
Dimensions: 74 x 60 cms
Frame: Salvator Rosa frame with sanded repose. Gilded
finish.
Inscriptions and labels: white sticker with handwritten number 3135 in blue pen
Previous treatments: Restored and re-lined (no date)
Summary: this three-quarters portrait represents John Padmore sitting at his desk with the
model of the crane he designed, presumably using the dip pen he is holding with his left hand.
The body turns to the diagonal and the gaze is straight to the observer. The background is dark
and neutral.

It has a small impact on the central area, near the face, with paint and ground loss that is
distracting for the appreciation of the portrait. There is also a horizontal scratch affecting the
varnish layer. The main objective of this treatment is to consolidate the flaking paint, fill the
loss and retouch the colour to match the surrounded area.
CONDITION REPORT

SECONDARY SUPPORT

The five-member stretcher is generally in sound state, with no evidence of woodworm, and
has bevelled inner edges. All the stretching keys are in place, and the tension of the canvas in
uniform.

PRIMARY SUPPORT

The canvas is plain or tabby weave. It is cut to the edge, and then adhered to a new canvas.
The re-linen fabric is secured taut to the stretcher evenly. The canvas for the re-lining is
hessian type (untested) with tabby weave.

The canvas is in a good state except for a small impact.

GROUND AND PAINT LAYERS

The ground is thin and evenly applied and seems to be well adhered
to the canvas.

There is loss of paint layer due to the abrasion, affecting the ground.

There is some discolouration attributed to accumulation of surface

dirt.

The whole paint layer is affected by an extensive net of craquelure,

which edges are lifted creating tent shape. The lines are long, curved
and diagonal on the lighter areas of paint and square and small on the darker areas, like the
background.

The observation under UV light has revealed an extensive restoration

treatment with the inpainting of large areas of the painting. The whole
edge covering several inches of original paint, and all the crack lines also
covering several millimetres.

SURFACE COATING

A thin and evenly applied resin is protecting the surface. The oil paint
appears dull and matte in alternate areas due to dust and grime accumulated on the creases.

TREATMENT REPORT

VERSO CLEANING
A bristle brush and a vacuum cleaner were used to remove the accumulation of dust from the
back of the stretcher and the reverse of the canvas.

RECTO CLEANING

The accumulation of dust and grime on the paint surface darkened the colours and make them
dull. In this case a cleaning with deionised water wiping with cotton swabs was enough to
bring back the brightness of the original colours

STRUCTURAL TREATMENT

Flattening planar distortion produced by the indentation

from the front. A blotting paper slightly moisten with D/I
water was left under weights checking every few minutes
and swapping the paper for a dry one. Weights were left
overnight to finally flatter the relaxed canvas.

INFILLINGS

The filler material chosen was acrylic ready-made gesso for

the adjustment of the surface level and texture.

INPAINTING

Retouching was made with B67 resin with pigments in

powder. The horizontal scratch was restored with B67
resin applied with small brush with little strokes to level
with the rest of the varnish layer.

VARNISHING

A thin layer of a low molecular weight varnish was applied by

brush.
FRAME RESTORATION

Salvator Rosa frame with sanded repose. Gilded finish.

The general condition is sound. The most exposed area of the lower member is abraded with
gold and gesso lost.

1. Eliminating the dust from the surface with a soft brush and vacuum cleaner.

2. Consolidation of the edges of gilding loss with PVA dispersed in D/I water.

3. Cleaning the grease deposit of grime on the surface with an emulsion of neutral soap,
turpentine and deioniced water.

4. Filling the losses with ready made gesso. When dry sanding down to meet the surrounding
area.

5. Gilding imitation with a mixture of yellow ochre and raw umber acrylic paint. Then brushing
a thin layer of acrylic gold paint on top to confer some metallic shine.

RESTORATION OF THE FRAME IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Gesso and gold leaf loss exposing Fillings with ready-made gesso
the bare wood underneath

Gilding imitation with

Sanding down the gesso to the acrylic paint
adequate shape

Metallic shine with acrylic

gold paint
REFERENCES

http://www.icon.org.uk/images/stories/care_and_conservation_of_oil_paintings6.pdf

http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Paintings

http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/
Paintings#Varnishes_and_Surface_Coatings_.281998.29

http://cool.conservation-us.org/waac/wn/wn27/wn27-2/wn27-205.pdf

http://www.e-conservationline.com: Article from e-conservation, the online magazine. No. 1,

October 2007, pp. 42-51/124

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/behind_the_scenes/

http://www.commercial.unimelb.edu.au/ultraviolet

https://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/resources-ressources/ccinotesicc/10-7_e.pdf

D’Andrea Cennini, Cennino, The Craftsman’s Handbook “Il libro dell’Arte” (Dover Publications,
1954-2014)

Keck, Carolina. A Handbook of the Care of Paintings (Watson- Cuptill Publications, 1974)