The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-09-20
Saving Old Paintings.

There are two distinct branches of
the art of renovating paintings the
renovator said. Zone is the easy pro-
cess of filling the cracks with a compo-
s1tlon rubbed in from the back. and
then backing it with canvas. The more
difficult branch of the art is that of
transferring painting from one canvas
to another; or, what is most difficult of
all to accomplish, that of transferring
to new canvas a painting on wood"
The name of the renovator was en-
graved with graceful flourishes on the
silver door plate of his four-story brick
residence: In the first story was a par
lOr, but in the second was carpenters
shop to all appearances. A long, wide
bench was in the middle of the room.
and at one end of it were planes, chisels
and other edged tools On the walls
were faded pictures in frames. On the
floor and leaning against each other
We're hundred pictures standing on
edge. The workman, with a short
plane, took off bits of wood from slat
at each stroke as he continued talking.
$40 transfer painting from one
canvas to another is not difficult" he
said. 81 first paste several thieknesses
of tissue paper on the face of the paint
ing after taking 1t from the frame
When it is dry the canvas is wet thor
oughly, and peel it from the back of
the picture, leaving the painting fast to
the tissue paper. After it dries again I
glue new canvas to the back Of the
picture, and when it has dried for the
fourth time ! wet the tissue paper and
peel it off. The picture is then ready
for the usual cleansing and renovating
processes"
care there many important paintings
on wood in existeneeP"
Every many, or there were before
they were transferred to canvas. Paint
ers have always been fond of painting
on wood because it is so smooth and
firm under the brush. Many artists in
Spain and Italy use it now. On the
table there is Last Supper painted
on wood. 1t is owned by Mr.. S. L. M.
Barlow, and he prizes it highly. 1t is
by an old master, and the wood has be-
gun to decay. When the wood under
the paintings begins to warp or show
signs of decay. then the owners have
the boards Graded as it is called
| that is, a network of wood is fastened
to the back of the picture to keep it from
warping. When the wood is so old that
the paint begins TO flake off from old
age, then the only chance to save it
from ruin is to transfer it to canvas.
81 paste the tissue paper on the face
of the painting, and then turn it over
and plane off the wood with plane
whose iron has convex edge. When
the wood is worked down thin use a
chisel with rounded edge, and when
the white paint, which is usually the
ground work of a picture, begins to APP
| pear, take off the last of the wood with
pumice stone and damp sponge. The
nature of the wood varies much, and on
! this depends the difficulty of my work
The Holland and German painters al
ways used oak for their paintings. In
the south of Europe species of poplar
was used, probably because it is most
common. Sometimes there are knots
on that side of the panel on which the
artist painted, and when the wood is
cut down thin the knot cruml1es away
and brings with 1t part of the painting.
Then, of course, the paint has to be re-
stored after the work of art is trans
ferred to canvas, which is done by past
ing canvas on the back and then press
ing it with hot irons on asmooth marble
| slab.
There is painting in the Metro
politan Museum of Art, the largest in
the gallery, mean Ruben's Flight into
Egypt, which | transferred to canvas
from thick oak panel. ! planned
and thought over it for year before ]
undertook the work, and then / was
three years in accomplishing It. No,
it is not true, as is said at the Museum,
that as last process / picked off the
bits of wood with needle. know.
however, that intense application to
that picture SO injured my eyes that
frequently cannot use them without
pain. I employed the same process as
with smaller pictures. Excessive care
had to be taken to prevent bits of paint
from taking off. The slightest neglect
might have ruined the picture.-M Z
| Sum-