Our services
Murals
The Conservation of the Painted Ceiling dated 1633-4 at Queen’s House for Royal Museums Greenwich. The Queen’s Presence Chamber contains one of the most important and unusual schemes of early 17th century wall paintings in the country.
The programme of cleaning and conservation by our specialist wall paintings conservators work highlighted the exceptional quality of the original scheme.
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Paintings
The cleaning and conservation of a wide variety of easel paintings and paintings on panel is carried out in our well-appointed studio.
Treatments include all aspects of conservation work: technical investigation, cleaning, re-lining and structural repair, retouching and re-varnishing. Frame conservation is also carried out and includes cleaning, structural repair and re-gilding.
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Mosaics
Our conservators have worked on a wide variety of mosaic conservation projects. Our director worked with an international team of conservators on the Byzantine mosaics within the dome of the Hagia Sophia. A joint Turkish Ministry of Culture and UNSECO project the conservation work was carried out in collaboration with the Central Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration, Istanbul and involved the emergency stabilisation of the 6th, 10th and 14th century mosaics and areas of gilded and painted decoration.
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Material Analysis
The benefits of paint analysis for conservation and the deeper understanding of our cultural heritage is now well established. Paint analysis plays key role in the authentication and dating of painted works of art. The correct identification of materials and techniques used by an artist, or added during later restoration work, can be essential in targeting appropriate conservation interventions.
Private Clients
As well as working for museums and galleries we undertake the cleaning and conservation of easel paintings for private clients.
Here a small, but much-loved family portrait which has become damaged over the years is carefully cleaned and tiny localised losses minutely retouched.
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Sgraffito
Sgraffito projects have included the cleaning and conservation of the sgraffito decoration by one of Britain's greatest exponents of the art Heywood Sumner. His cleaned and conserved works can be found at St Agatha's Church, Portsmouth and St Mary’s Church, Sunbury-on-Thames amongst others.
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Gilding
Re-gilding is carried out on a wide variety of objects.
Here an unusual African hardwood figure in the Main Shrine at Aylesford Priory had been thumb gilded by the sculptor Michael Clark in 1962, but suffered loss due to flaking of an overlying polyurethane varnish which had to be carefully removed to allow new gold to be applied.
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Hatchments
Found in many country churches the hatchment or funeral escutcheon is a painting of the arms of the deceased, originating in the Low Countries. A debased form of the medieval heraldic achievement – the shield, helm and other accoutrements of a noble or knight, hatchments were originally placed beside the deceased at home, then accompanied the funeral procession to the church where the persons Achievements were offered up to God and hung on the wall. Often poorly neglected after careful relining, cleaning and retouching they can be restored to their former glory.
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Royal Arms
Introduced at the Reformation by Henry VIII, Royal Arms replaced the Rood in many churches, demonstrating the power of the Monarch over the church in England.
The Arms of Charles II in Edenbridge are dated 1727 and a rare signed example ‘John Fairchild painter of London’. Fairchild’s trade card stated that he “Paints and sells all sorts of Wooden, Pewter and Copper Signs, Coats of Arms in Oyl….” and on the reverse is a list of his stock of 131 “Signs Ready Painted”.
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Decorative Stone and Marble
Cleaning and conservation of decorative stone and marble finishes is carried out in conjunction with the conservation of other decoration.
Here a collapsing alabaster reredos which had suffered from poorly executed re-arrangement of the chancel is carefully rebuilt and restored using new alabaster panels as part of a re-ordering of the interior.
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Large Objects
Cleaning and conservation of large and complex objects includes the treatment of a unique Hispano-Moresque ceiling dated c.1490, decorated with an overall framework of geometric designs, from the Palacio de Torrijos near Toledo, for the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The Torrijos Ceiling was previously on permanent display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington has now been re-erected at the V&A East Storehouse, one of two new interconnected sites in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. More detail can be found in this blog post from the V&A.
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Banksy
We have completed work on a number of large and small scale Banksy artworks.
Here, the piece Valentines Day Mascara was successfully removed and restored ahead of it’s relocation to Dreamland in Margate. Banksy’s Valentine’s Day Mascara highlighted violence against women and girls, raising awareness of domestic abuse. Red Eight Gallery announced that once the artwork was sold, a six-figure donation would be made to Oasis Domestic Abuse Services in Margate. This generous contribution supported victims and amplified the powerful message.