AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

In 2022, a 17th-century Dutch portrait (44 x 37 1/8 in.) from the Memorial Art Gallery (accession #T334) by an unknown artist was brought to the Garman Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State University for technical study and conservation treatment. The oil on canvas painting depicts a military figure and is an example of late Dutch Golden Age painting. The artwork exhibited a range of condition issues, including structural instabilities and aesthetic disfigurements alongside previous restoration campaigns.

The painting was analyzed with imaging and analytical techniques including multimodal imaging, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, polarized light microscopy, and cross-section microscopy to gain a better understanding of the artist’s materials and techniques as well as the prior restoration. The results indicated that the materials, including pigments and preparation techniques, were consistent with 17th c. Dutch painting styles. The previous glue-paste lining and tear repair were also failing. Results of the materials analysis informed the subsequent treatment which included both structural and aesthetic steps. Lining was performed using two layers of BEVA 371a film (commercially available since 2021) with heat and pressure via a hot vacuum table. While initial lining results were satisfactory, it was clear that the changes to the previous formulation impacted the treatment. The film did not have the same adhesive properties, required a higher temperature to adhere BEVA-to-BEVA and BEVA-to-canvas, and reacted readily to solvent exposure. Notably, the solvents used in the first varnish application caused the lining to separate from the original, creating pockets of delamination. As a result, the painting was subjected to additional heat and pressure to fully re-adhere the lining.

The treatment was successful and the painting is once again able to be safely displayed. Nevertheless, the differences in adhesive properties of BEVA 371a are worth discussion. In 2023, a Getty Conserving Canvas workshop addressed the reformulation and similar challenges using reformulated BEVA in treatments were reported in the AIC Global Conservation Forum. Further informal discussions among paintings conservators regarding use of BEVA 371a indicate the impact of the reformulated adhesive in practice; however, the lack of formal publications show a need for continued research and discussion. The unexpected lining process experienced in this case study serves as a starter for such conversations.