Works on Paper Department: Stain Reduction Treatment

Before treatment: Edward Hopper, Night Shadows, 1921, engraving in black ink on medium weight European wove paper.

Our studio often receives inquiries for stain reduction treatment for works on paper. Our client recently purchased this etching at auction which was over matted and concealed the margins of the paper. When he unframed the work he found foxing, staining and severe UV matte burn that needed our attention.

Edward Hopper was an American realist painter and printmaker. While he is widely known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Hopper's sensibility in Night Shadows resembles the American thriller film noir of the 1940s, with its shadowy street corner lighting and narratives of crime, darkness, and betrayal. Although the imagery of Night Shadows is characteristic of Hopper's work, this etching is unusual. He normally printed his own works, in this case, a commercial printer produced the etching plate of Night Shadows and printed the run of the edition.

The treatment included carefully removing the etching out of the window matte and reducing the pressure sensitive hinges on the verso. Next, the work was dry surface cleaned and then immersion washed in a series of filtered water baths and pressed flat to dry.

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Above: After treatment