Antique Paintings  have some very special needs due to the passage of time. Art Conservation goes beyond the mere restoration of the appearance of an object it also encompasses the preservation and history of our heritiage. Please view some Before & After examples below:

Before  The painting of the rooster had extreme crackle, and the paint was lifting from the ground support	After The painting had been re-lined on a vacuum table.  A clear surface coating was applied after cleaning which enhanced the vibrant colors
Before This 18th Century portrait was water damaged, and the pigments had been eaten by mold	After The portrait was cleaned and stabilized.  Inpainting was performed with historic pigments
Before This sea-scape was painted on a wooden panel, and the lead ground was cupping and flaking due to expansion and contraction of the wood	After The painting was cleaned of nicotine and yellowing varnish.  The cupping paint was laid down and flattened onto the support and secured with molten conservation adhesive.
Before	After

The restoration and conservation of contemporary art is a specialty niche due to the complicated material science of modern materials. Time or environmental conditions can cause damage, fading or deterioration to art and artifacts. At times the appearance may not have changed but their internal structure may have been compromised. Please view some contemporary art conservation and preservation projects below:

Before	After
This painting had yellowing varnish in the thick impasto paint	The painting was cleaned with polar solvents, and the vibrant colors were visible again to reveal the artist's intent

Van witt Fine Art specializes in the restoration and conservation of historic murals.

Mural Restoration of "History of Brown County"

Project: Remove, repair and restore 1961 mural by Ron Allerton
Client: Brown County Historical Society, Hiawatha, Kansas
Mural size: 7 x 20 feet
Project completed: February 2010

This mural had been adhered to a wall in the basement of the historical society in Hiawatha, Kansas.  VWFA was tasked to remove and restore the historic mural from the wall. 

The mural was clearly in need of restoration due to mold and water damage, blistering cleavages, flaking, and oxidation. The center of the painting was especially brittle, as the canvas had at one time been folded in half.

After cleaning the verso losses were filled and inpainted  with reversible conservation paints. After restoration, we applied a coat of protective varnish to saturate the brittle paint.

To prepare the restored mural for installation, we rolled it onto custom-made panels and gallery-wrapped finished edges. The remounted work was installed in the newly restored Citizens Bank building in Hiawatha, Kansas.

We were honored and delighted to be involved in the restoration and conservation of this historic work.

Mural  Restoration of "Comedy Fresco"

Project:
Client: Westport Public Schools
Mural Size: 15x7 feet
Project Completed: September 2006

Mural Restoration of "Agricultural Life"

Project: On-site restoration of 1956 mural by Frederick James
Client: National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, Kansas
Mural size: 7 x 20 feet
Project completed: January 2007

This historic work had been donated to the National Agricultural Center in 2004. the Frederick James mural was adhered to a wall weighing in at over a ton. The curved 20 foot wall had been cut into three sections  for transport to the new location. The resulting damage was massive: large chunks of losses left gaps and jagged edges at the cut line. VWFA was tasked with the reconstruction of the cement and plaster wall and restoration of the mural.

The losses in the canvas were filled and leveled resulting in one smooth, continguous surface. Reversible restoration materials were used to ireconsrtuct the losses. A final protective and reversible layer of varnish was applied to protect the mural.

Mural Restoration of "The Allegory of Tulsa"

Project: Remove, repair and restore 1918 mural by Willaim Steene
Client: Private Collector
Mural size: 5 x 15 feet
Project completed: September 2010

This historic 15 foot mural had been rolled up in a warehouse for decades. VWFA was tasked to clean and restore the mural of years of acumulation of airbourne grime, old adhesive, and discolored varnish on the verso.

After cleaning blistering cleavages and flaking losses were consolidated and in-filled and leveled then losses were inpainted with reversible conservation paints and applied solvents to saturate the brittle paint.

To prepare the restored mural for installation, it was lined onto custom-made acid free panelsand gallery-wrapped prepared by Signature Canvas, Kansas City.  The mural was transported in a flatbed truck and will be on display at Pierson Gallery in Tulsa Oklahoma.

 This historic Mural hangs in the Norton County, Kansas mural. The mural had been tacked to the wall using hunderes of flat head nails. VWFA was asked to retore the mural nail of the hundreds of nail heads that had been been inflicted on the mural. This task was performed with museum standard materials on location.

Painting Restoration of "Les Caves #2"

 

Project: Restore 1976 painting by Robert Motherwell
Client: Ulrich Museum, Wichita, Kansas
Mural size: 12 x 6 feet
Project completed: May 2008

When renowned contemporary artist Robert Motherwell created this work over 40 years ago, he used massive expanses of black, solid pigment paint.  The painting needed some maintenance and reversal of what appeared to be smudges; these likely occurred when something splatterd along the bottom edge of the painting. The painting featured different textures and finishes of layered black paint, and the refractive index ranged from glossy to flat.

We used rapidly evaporating polar solvents to carefully remove the splatters, then tested a range of pure pigments and binders to match the original medium. As is the case for every project, all materials are reversible and use museum-standand methodologies.

While we specialize in painting conservation, some of our projects cover objects conservation

This antique vase had been repaired several times prior to breakage and is currently in the process of being restored

These three images above are examples of frame restoration done by the late Master Frame Restorer Bob Hamond.

Left Image: The top floral of the antique frame is missing. Right Image: The floral has been cast in plaster from an existing intact corner. Later is was guilded to match the patina.

 These five images demonstrate the restoration process: First, the loose pieces are assembled. Second, they are refitted with adhesive and left to dry. Third, missing pieces are in-filled, and the patina is recreated.

As with all conservation projects, restoring works on paper involves both art and science. It requires years of training and experience, and is a true specialty.

Please call us at (913) 661-9128 for a referral to professionals who specialize in restoring paper.