ANETA ZEBALAPAINTINGS CONSERVATION

Project description:

Portrait of the Founder, 1967
Joseph Weisman

Oil on canvas, 30 x 24 inches

CONDITION PRIOR TO TREATMENT
The painting, Portrait of the Founder, had been slashed by a blunt instrument, which caused an 18" long irregular vertical tear through the left side of the face. It was brought to the studio for repair.  The tear in the canvas support caused losses both in the ground and paint layers. The rip disfigured the face of the painted woman as well as caused extensive planar distortions to the canvas.

TREATMENT
The paint and ground fragments along the tear were repositioned into their original location and consolidated in place with a conservation grade adhesive.  The torn threads were rearranged, trimmed and glued together to re-establish planar continuity of the canvas.  Thus repaired the original canvas was then lined to add overall structural support to the canvas. A lining process involves adhering a new piece of fabric to the reverse of the painting with a conservation grade adhesive. Lining treatments are invasive in character and are therefore implemented judiciously. However, a lining procedure is justified in cases where original canvas sustained extensive structural damage.  The area of repaired tear was filled with an acrylic type filler and sculpted to mimic the texture of the surrounding undamaged surface, as well as toned with watercolors.  A thin layer of conservation and UV protective varnish was applied by brush as an isolation layer.  Losses were carefully inpainted to visually reintegrate the damage into the composition.  This approach effectively restored the visual integrity of the painting.