Conservation treatment of 'Rose of Persia" by Tom Roberts

This intimate portrait by Australian artist Tom Roberts was carefully uncrated and examined in the ICS labsby Paintings Conservator Jenny O’Connell. During the examination, Jenny discovered unstable paint, which was cracking and lifting away from the support, primarily around the figure’s hair. She also found a matte area over the figure’ s left eye, which stood out from the rest of the varnished piece. To find out more, she examined the painting under ultraviolet radiation. This revealed that old restorations and overpaint had changed over time and become matte in appearance.

The cracking paint was stabilised with a conservation grade adhesive that was heat set after application. The matte area was then addressed by applying a local varnish to restore the surface so that it matched the surrounding area. Following this, an overall surface coating was applied to protect the painting from dust, mould and UV damage. The painting and frame were also cleaned front and back to improve their appearance. There were some cracks and losses in the frame’s moulding, which were repaired with reproduction moulding and gilt varnish.

To see the full treatment process, from unpacking to reframing, check out this short video, which

also shows the transformation of the piece from start to finish.

Adopted by The Friends of NERAM in 2015.

If you would like to find out more about or make a donation to support NERAM’s award winning Adopt-an-Artwork program then visit http://www.neram.com.au/support/adopt-an-artwork/