Inherited painting in dismal condition appeared amongst a family member’s possessions. Is it worth having conserved?
This small painting needed a lot of care:
- lining, due to multiple holes
- infill, due to paint loss
- inpainting, to supplement infill, so as to blend in with the painting’s composition as the artist intended
- not to mention varnish removal and re-application
Spending over $1,000 can be tolerable, IF the painting is “worth doing”.
After having researched paintings by the artist’s name on the canvas, I came to question the likelihood of a signature strutting so strongly. This signature seemed to “out shout” the gentle landscape’s rhythm.
Reviewed the signature with a UV light. It was dark purple. This could portend two different realities:
- painter signed the painting some time after completing the landscape
- signature was added by someone other than the artist after landscape had been completed. The added signature may or may not have corresponded with who really painted the painting.
Having reviewed over 25 examples of the artist’s signature, clearly the name on the canvas did not represent the individual who painted it. Interestingly, there was one recorded painting whose appearance somewhat agreed with the subject painting. Overall the painting is stylistically incompatible with every other reproduced example of the artist’s work.
Bottom line: The painting could be conserved for sentimental reasons. However, its value fully conserved would not resemble the cost to replenish its original appearance.
Corinne Cain of SavvyCollector.com