Treatment of 'Eggs' by Nora Heysen

This delightful still life, painted in 1927 by Australian artist Nora Heysen, is a popular part of the NERAM collection. It was recently conserved by ICS Senior Conservation Manager, Adam Godijn.

Before treatment, areas of discolouration were clearly visible on the surface of the painting. When the painting was examined under UV light it became evident that these discoloured patches were the result of previous restorations. It is quite common for painting restorations to change colour over time and need retouching decades later. ICS conservators also found cracking in the paint layer, and observed that the painting was slightly too small for the frame.

To address these issues, Adam unframed the painting and toned in the previous restorations. The cracking was carefully checked and deemed to be stable for the time being. Adam then cleaned the frame and reframed the painting. A new slip was inserted to fill out the frame.

To see the full treatment process from start to piece, check out this slide show, which shows Adam at work.