nto position using a two-part adhesive, and the rigging has been repaired and replaced, but only where it has been possible to identify where the original rigging would have been.
Watercolour painting on paper, attributed to James Wilson Carmichael (1800 – 1868)
Carmichael was born in Newcastle. He completed his apprenticeship as a ship’s carpenter, but devoted much of his free time to art and was eventually able to make a living as a painter. He is well known as a marine artist.
Residues of paper and animal glue at the edges of the painting show that it was once attached to a window mount and backing board. The brown line of discolouration just inside the edge is a result of contact with acidic mount board. Contact with poor quality materials, and unsuitable environmental conditions have caused the paper to become discoloured and brittle. It has lost flexibility, resulting in cracking and tearing at the left side.
Dark brown spots in the image are known as ‘fox marks’ and can occur when small, impurities in the paper become degraded.
The painting has been treated to reduce discolouration and remove acidity from the paper. Cracked and torn areas have been repaired at the back using good quality materials that can be easily removed if necessary. Small areas of loss along the tear have been filled and carefully retouched so that they no longer distract the eye from the image.
For display, the painting has been hinged into a window mount. The mount is made from high quality, acid free materials and contains an alkaline buffer to protect the painting from future acid attack. The bevelled window also serves to prevent contact with the glass if the painting is framed.
This high quality portrait came into the Hatton collection when it was part of Durham University. There is very little information about it apart from it was partially restored by Helmut Ruhemann in 1960.
This oil painting is on a canvas covered panel. Marks around the outer edge of the painting (known as stretcher bar mark) lead to the conclusion that it was originally a stretched canvas and has been mounted onto the panel at a later date. The panel is attached to the vertical planks, but the top horizontal plank has shrunk and ripped the canvas. Old fills and retouching in this area are evidence of older damage. There is a second rip in the canvas (centre right) and paint loss to the right of her hair. The paint is cracked with age and lifting slightly around the edges of the cracks. The surface of the painting was covered with a thick layer of dirt on top of a yellowed varnish with drip marks running horizontally across the face.
The bottom left section has had the thick dirt layer left in place for display purposes. In the top left section the yellow and discoloured varnish has been left in place. The top right section has had the varnish and old retouching’s removed, damages consolidated, and filled ready for retouching. The bottom right section has been fully conserved, retouched and varnish to a display standard
This hand carved and gilded frame is typical of an 16th C frame and was very damaged. The wooden joints had split with chunks missing from the inner edge. The gesso and gilding were missing or flaking in many areas and the surface dirt was so thick that the gold appeared to be discoloured bronze paint until cleaning tests revealed the 24ct gold underneath.
The frame has been glued back together. In the bottom left section the frame has been untouched, with the thick layer of dirt and flaking finish. In the top left section the dirt has been removed to reveal the damaged gilding and gesso. In the top right section the gesso and gilding has been consolidated and filled for re-gilding. The bottom right section has been re-gilded and then toned to match the original gilding.