Cleaning Complete
Part 8 of Conserving a Canaletto
After many hours and consultations with Timothy, cleaning is complete. I am always amazed at how much more one sees of a picture once the discolored varnish is removed—subtle details in the composition become visible and the picture's overall sense of depth is enhanced.
As suggested in previous posts, the cleaning was a compromise. It was a challenge to evenly remove the discolored restorer’s varnish and only some of the residual coating in the paint interstices. In some cases I had to leave more in the paint troughs due to solubility of the paint. I will have to address those areas during the restoration phase so the picture is tonally consistent overall when the treatment is complete.
This post is one in a multi-part series by Denver Art Museum staff on a long lost painting located in our collections. Find links to more from the series.
Image credit: Giovanni Antonio Canal, called il Canaletto. Venice: The Molo from the Bacino di S. Marco, about 1724. Oil on canvas. Bequest of Charles Edwin M. Stanton, 2009.336.