The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-01-07
PICTURE MENDING.
n LITTLE KNOWN BUT IMPOR-
TANT BRANCH OF ART.
Restoring Valuable Old Paintings
TO Their Original Freshness
"ShrinlIing'' Picture-DelI-
cate and Difficult Work.

| Drancn OF art IS the trade OF
| ~ the picture repairer, who
renovates old paintings,
mutilated pictures, and, if necessary,
transfers the painting to new canvas.
| Though there are many men making
n specially of this work in New York,
there are only one or two experts to
| whom old masters are iutrusted. There
are two distinct branches of this pecu-
! liar business; one consists in repair
ing mutilated pictures aud reDovat-
ing those in which the paint has
cracked, while the other is the trans
ferring of n painting from the old
canvas to new one.
When a picture is nearly oblteratad
by the dust and dirt which gather on
the varnish, as often happens in paint
ings of any age which have not been
carefully looked after, the simple pro.
cess of removing the old varnish and
putting on new makes a marvellous
change in its appearance. If the paint
is cracked more elaborate operation
is necessary. The little cracks are
sometimes filled up with compost
tion after the old varnish has been re-
moved and then the picture is reyar-
! nished. This is often delicate
operation on account of the difficulty
in exactly matching the different col
! ors. When the picture is very badly
cracked this method is not available,
for the aggregate width of largo
! number of cracks will sometimes
amount TO half an inch or more in
large painting. The operation of
shrinking is then performed. What
the exact process is tho expert who
talked with n New York Tribune
reporter did not care to say, but it
consists, in removing the old canvas
and then, by means OF material laid
wet on the painting and allowed TO
dry, the cracks are brought together.
This last process is n very difficult one
and closely resembles the transferring
OF paintings performed when the
original canvas has partially rotted
away, an operation which is undoubt-
edly the most delicate piece of work
tue picture restorer is called upon to
do. Years Of experience are necessary
to give the requisite nicely of touch
and dexserity.
After the picture has been taken
out OF the frame it IS set upon an easel
and tissue paper pasted over its face.
When it is dry the picture is turned
over and the canvas ut the back thor.
oughly wet. The old canvas is then
removed thread by thread until moth
ing is left but the paint still fast to
the tissue paper. Any cracks are then
filled III from behind with a varnish-
like composition, and the new canvas
mounted and glued on to the back of
the painting. When this is dry the
tissue paper is moistened and gently
removed from the face OF the picture.
1t is then cleansed, after which the
process is complete and the old
cracked painting is nowrestored to its
original beauty, aud fun nished with an
entirely new canvas. This process,
when carried out upon "a valuable old
master, is one which involves an enor-
nous amount of trouble, and is never
done unless absolutely necessary. The
risk is too great, and few men will
venture to undertake it. Some of the
varnishes used by the old painters are
extremely hard and it is almost impos-
sible to remove them without taking
out colors and all.
A still more difficult process is the
transferring of pictures from wood to
canvas. To do this the wooden panel
or whatever it may be IS planed away
until the painting rests upon the mer-
est she'll of wood. A special tool is
then used until the paint outlines of
the picture can be seen through the
wood. Before doing this tissue paper
IS pasted on the front of the painting,
as In the process previously described.
Pumice and a wet sponge remove the
last yestige of wood, and the new can.
vas is then mounted The tissue paper
IS wetted and peeled off, after which
the operation is complete. Unless the
wood is badly warped or shows signs
OF decay the paint is not transferred,
but the panel is Strengthened by me-
chanical means. The wood is first
planed to the thickness of quarter
OF an inch and then stats are glued on
the back, running the same way as the
grain. These are crossed by lateral
pieces fitting into them, but moving
freely so rs to allow for shrinknge.
This is known as grading, aud is also
employed when panel is broken.
The pieces are carefully joined and the
picture is Graded.