Early American Portrait of a Man

  • Artist unknown; early 19th century (?)
  • Oil on canvas|Private collection, New York City

Painting restoration: example of strip lining

    • arly American Portrait of a Man - Before

    • 1. Before painting restoration. There is a layer of yellowed varnish as well as dirt and grime on the painting's surface.

    • arly American Portrait of a Man - Before -Canvas

    • 2. Before painting restoration. Tacking edges of the canvas are torn off or missing.

    • arly American Portrait of a Man - Before

    • 3. Before painting restoration. The surface of the painting, seen under a strong reflected light, shows the unevenness and creases in the canvas. Early "drying" cracks in the paint and ground layers (around and on the sitter's head) are also visible.

    • arly American Portrait of a Man - During Process

    • 4. During painting restoration. After relaxing and flattening the canvas, its edges were reinforced by strips of a new canvas. The strips are attached with an adhesive to the back of the canvas (along the tacking edges). This method is known as strip lining.

    • arly American Portrait of a Man - During Process

    • 5. During painting restoration. Detail of a tacking edge after the strip lining and restretching of the painting.

    • arly American Portrait of a Man - After

    • 6. After painting restoration. Several small areas of the paint loss have been retouched. After the old varnish and surface dirt were removed, the painting was varnished again.