The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-08-19
BY FRANKLIN B. CLARK.

BY FRANKLIN B. CLARK.
nRoMPTED by the request
Of art patrons, connoisseurs
u and others, to write some.
thing in the interest OF ana
enlightenment on the art OF art
restoration, / will endeavor to
throw some light on subject
about which very little is gen.
orally known.
Without sacrificing my profess
sion az a portrait and landscape
PAINTER, thirty years experience
in the field of art restoration IN
its true sense enables me to
define II as an art in itself. OF
which the fundamental requisite
is total elimination of any trace
of repair-in other words. reStora-
ton to pristine condition.
This form Of art requires in
it's execution utmost skill and
experiences, not only in the art
execution and technique that
come from long experience. put
also in the understanding OF
pigments and their mediums, and
the effects Of time, climate and
other conditions upon them, ana
the action and counteraction OF
the mediums used upon them to
recall their original state and
appearance.
Behind the word Restoration
an array of processes and treat
ments presents itself as the case
in question may demand, ana OF
which but few have the faintest
conception, From cleaning,
that sounds simple enough TO
create all sorts OF devastation, to
all forms OF repair, each, all or
any must be performed with
equal skill and individual method.
Many valuable paintings are
seriously damaged and sometimes
completely destroyed by inludl'
cious cleaning, one form OF which
a the free use OF water, soap ana
scrllbbinR brush, method that Is
never resorted to without risk.
have often been called upon to
save paintings so subjected that
as a result from this practice
have become loosenhd from the
canvas, or the surface penetrated
and the painting robbed OF its
finish. melloWness or age-Quallty'
which must then be reimparted.
Then In cases Of rotted canvas,
or when 1t has been ripped or
torn, and the painting REQUIRES
reclining. the contraction OF the
two canyases, the new and the
aid must be taken in considera.
ton, as when this contractlon
takes place the painting cracks.
Blisters and air bubbles. occa.
stoned by heat, unskilled refining
or other causes, have to De KAT
tened back without damage or
trace.
MANY rare paintings that have
restored have been pronounced De-
vond restoration. One--a rare OLD
master - had been subjected 10
such misuse that it had been re-
duced to a mere bit Of hopeless
looking Junk. Another had been
cracked and then loosened from
the canvas in innumerabie Smah
pieces, curled up at the cages
ike breakfast corn.flakes, held IN
Mace only by the protecting glass
and IL raised vertically would
have dropped off and the paint
ing irretrievably lost. Each
flake" had to be impercepuDiy
set back in place and the sur
rounding cracks eliminated. When
completed no trace Of any dam
age was discernible.
When holes occur they have to
be filled, but these filings must
not show and the missing parts
must as imperceptibly be re-
PAINTED, identical in detail and
technique with the rest Of the
picture, for which reason success
full and perfect restoration can
only be executed by an artist of
wide range of technique.
These are some Of the features
Of the art.technique involved. but
there are also features of mechan.
ical technique which must be per.
formed with an equal degree OF
nicely. such for instance as pic.
lures painted on panels Of wood
that have warped or cracked and
must be Graded in order ~ be