Paintings Department: Varnish removal
(above) Melissa, Paintings Fellow, beginning treatment on Wilson Irvine, In Early Autumn, 1912.
This Wilson Irvine painting has been in our client’s family collection for several generations and originally belonged to his great grandfather, a major patron of the Art Institute of Chicago. Since being passed down, the work has weathered through many different changes in climate, installation, possible nicotine exposure, and a past campaign of conservation.
When it arrived at the studio, this painting by Irvine (entitled In Early Autumn, 1912) had generous coatings of varnish that had yellowed and obscured the delicate color palette. Installed on the lower frame member is the original plaque, engraved with “Awarded the Martin B. Cahn Prize, 1912, Art Institute of Chicago.” Irvine’s Cahn prize was noted by art critic George Breed Zug, who stated that “the artist’s method of placing the dots of pure color at varying angles is not only well suited to obtain his sunny effects but also tends to give the impression of movement, of animation in his painting.”
The artist, Wilson Henry Irvine (1869 -1936), was known for his impressionist landscapes. Irvine spent his early career near Chicago and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. Irvine was almost 45 when he moved to Old Lyme, Connecticut, where he became part of the American Barbizon circle which focused on American Impressionism. In Early Autumn is a classic example of the genre of painting that he is best recognized for, with luminous light and atmospheric qualities in his compositions depicting New England countryside.
This lengthy treatment of the painting included an overall dry cleaning followed by aqueous cleaning and a range of varnish removal techniques utilizing solvents and solvent gels to remove the layers of varnish as the thick coatings were stubborn in many areas. Through this process, the overpaint was removed, losses were filled, small areas inpainted, and a final conservation grade varnish was applied to the surface to bring the composition back to life. The original frame was in good condition and received minimal treatment including surface cleaning, fills to losses, and inpainting. The images taken during treatment exhibit the dramatic transformation of this work.
(left) Before treatment. (right) After treatment.
(above) During varnish removal.
(above) Detail of original plaque.