Girl Meditating, After Treatment
Girl Meditating
Artist: Adolphe Borie
Title: Girl Meditating
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Date: 1916
Dimensions: 26 1/16” x 25 1/8”
This portrait of a pensive young woman is an unvarnished painting made up of quick, decisive brushwork, using a cool-toned palette. Areas of the painting show the ground while other areas are thick with impasto.
Borie was a Philadelphian artist and acted as a pillar of the arts community there. He was heavily influenced by impressionism and modernism.
Condition Summary
This painting came into the lab in preparation for a full reinstallation of the American Galleries. The painting had been in long term storage, which meant this treatment was in service to the paintings debut to the public since the museum had acquired it in 1928.
The painting was covered in a sooty layer of grime - making it difficult to appreciate the bright colors. There were two tears on the top tacking margin that endangered the overall tension and stability.
The frame was very warped and the rabbet too thin to protect the back of the painting.
Treatment Proposal Summary
Due to the disfiguring layer of sooty grime on the surface, the painting required surface and aqueous cleaning. The variation in surface texture required problem solving on the delivery method to achieve an even clean. The tears on the tacking margin were surrounding two tacks, which required a mending method that could support the re-insertion of the tacks. The frame rabbet depth was not large enough to accommodate the painting’s depth - leaving the back half vulnerable to damage. A build-out (sometimes called a collar) was added, which require modifications due to the extreme warp of the frame.
A full treatment proposal and treatment report can be downloaded for further information. Below are select information and images of the treatment process.
Click on each image for an enlarged version.
Before Treatment, Normal Light, Recto
Before Treatment, Normal Light, Verso
Before Treatment, Raking Light, Recto
Before Treatment, Transmitted Light, Recto
During Treatment, Partial Aq. Cleaning, Normal Light, Recto
After Treatment, Normal Light, Recto
After Treatment, Normal Light, Verso
Aqueous Cleaning
Through initial MCP testing, I found pH 7.5 buffered citric acid MCP solution (1 part citric acid/sodium hydroxide chelating soln; 1 part Tris / hydrochloric acid buffer soln; 3 parts DI water) to readily remove the soot. Due to slight friability of some passages, I explored different application methods and found that gentle pressing motions with a PVOH sponge was effective at cleaning and minimized the mechanical action. However, the PVOH sponges were not effective at cleaning areas of impasto, there I used the MCP pH 7.5 xanthan gum gel applied with a white synthetic bristle brush with a 10 second dwell time. All method of cleaning were cleared with pH 7.5 adjusted water.
Aqueous Cleaning with PVOH Sponge
(PC: Camille Ferrer)
Agitating Xanthan gel on surface with white bristle brush (PC: Camille Ferrer)
Detail of during cleaning
Tearmending
With the tears surrounding the placement of two tacks, I decided a double sided patch made of Japanese tissue attached with BEVA would provide the structural integrity needed for this area. Since these tears overlapped with the stretcher, some local humidification was needed to allow for safe manipulation. The Japanese tissue was primed with BEVA film and attached first to the back of the canvas and then the front using a heated spatula. The outer patches were slightly toned back from their stark white and the tacks put back into place.
Tears along the tacking margin (tacks already removed)
Canvas lifted open to allow access to back (after humidification)
Back patch added to back, view from the front
Back patch added to back, view from the back
Front patch added
Patches attached and tacks replaced, weight used to encourage canvas into original bend around stretcher
Frame Modifications
The frame rabbet depth was not large enough to accommodate the painting’s depth - leaving the back half vulnerable to damage. A collar was added to add appropriate depth to the frame. However, the frame was very warped and the collar very planar, so stepped layers of matboard were added to better conform the back collar with the frame, allowing for a more secure attachment between the two.
Back of collar with all needed matboard shims attached to even-out frame distortions
Detail of stepped matboard modifications
Attached collar, with matboard and countersunk screws in place
Distortion of the frame causing deviation from collar, filled in by matboard
Designing the collar to reduce size/weight and accom0odate for frame liner