Conservation
Conservator Jim Dimond at work in his studio.
The MOD Art Collection team carry out a rolling programme of conservation. Sometimes the paintings themselves need cleaning or repair, and sometimes the frames need attention. Clocks are regulated and repaired, fragile drawings and watercolours are routinely inspected for damage.
All conservation work is carried out by specialists recommended by the UK Institute for Conservation (holders of the Conservation Register).
Current projects include a globe - and a 19th century ship's figurehead which is used as a gatekeeper for a naval establishment.
Among the problems encountered by the team is the need to make decisions on how far to restore. A recent example of this occurred during the conservation of a late 16 th century painting "The Four Evangelists" (MOD171), by Abraham Bloemaert.
This work , which came into the ownership of the Ministry of Defence as part of the fabric of a building, had been very badly restored by a heavy-handed Victorian restorer. Large sections of the original oil paint had been removed with the varnish, leaving only patchy areas of the 16th century original.
After all the Victorian overpainting had been removed, the conservator and the MOD Art Collection team had to decide whether simply to conserve the remaining Bloemaert and leave the rest neutral in appearance, or to restore the empty areas in the style of the original. The decision was taken to restore rather than to conserve, and the images right show the painting before and after restoration. "The Four Evangelists" was subsequently returned to its home in Chicksands Priory, Bedfordshire.
MOD393- Off Cape St Vincent by W L Wyllie. Subject of recent restoration.
A recent conservation project was undertaken on the severely- damaged oil painting ‘Off Cape St Vincent’ by the 20th century artist W L Wyllie. This seascape was painted around 1925 as a study for Wyllie’s masterpiece ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’, which hangs today in the Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth.
The painting was cleaned and the canvas strenghthened and stabalised, which prevented further paint loss. The frame was conserved as a parallel project. Following conservation, the work was deemed robust enough for display close to the Admiralty Boardroom, just off Whitehall.