Treatment of 'Violets' by Elioth Gruner

Elioth Gruner is most famous for his atmospheric depictions of the Australian countryside. Lesser known is that he also created many charming still-life paintings! This one from the NERAM collection was recently conserved by ICS paintings conservator Jenny O’Connell.

Before treatment, the image was quite difficult to see. However, Jenny soon discovered that the painting had been covered with a wax coating that obscured the image beneath. This coating clearly stood out when examined under UV light.

Jenny carried out several tests to find the safest way of removing the wax coating without harming the paint layer. In the end, the coating was carefully reduced using cotton swabs and solvent. The final wax remnants were removed with solvent and cotton rag. A new surface coating was then applied to protect the painting from dust, mould and UV damage. The frame was also cleaned, with several cracks and losses in the frame moulding repaired using reproduction moulding and gilt varnish.

Reducing the wax coating made a huge difference to the overall appearance of the painting. Everyone will now be able see the delightful image that was hidden beneath the wax! To see the full treatment process, check out this short video, which shows the transformation of the piece from start to finish.

'Violets' by Elioth Gruner was adopted anonymously 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/