Services
Consultations
Your initial consultation with the conservator will include a preliminary examination of the work. At this time, the conservator will briefly describe the materials and techniques used to create your piece, the general condition of your painting, offer recommendations for care and suggest possible treatment options, if appropriate. Further resources for learning about and caring for your painting can be discussed. If the client is interested in pursuing treatment, a full examination will be scheduled. There is no charge for this initial consultation.
Examination and Documentation
An in-depth examination of your painting allows a clear understanding of the condition of the painting. It can provide insights to the painting’s structure, as well as an understanding of the materials and techniques utilized by the artist. This information will be compiled into a written report for the client. Photographic documentation provides a record of the painting, and accompanies the report. This can be used for loan, purchase, or to assess treatment possibilities for the painting.
Treatment
If the client is interested in having a painting treated, the conservator will provide a proposal which will describe the conservator’s approach and summarize what the client may expect from treatment. Types of treatment can vary from addressing structural concerns through the stabilization and repair of punctures and tears, weakened tacking margins, and distortions in the canvas, to providing aesthetic interventions such as surface cleaning, removal of dirt and grime, the reduction or removal of discolored varnishes, removal of discolored inpaintng, filling losses of the painted surface, and inpainting. The client will be provided with written and photographic documentation of the treatment process. This, along with the documentation made before treatment, provides a detailed record of the conservator’s work.