Philosophy

My philosophy is to Rescue the art Work from the 18th C. respecting the original intention of the artist. To that end, I examine each work of art closely and tailor the methodologies to meet the needs of the painting.

I use only the finest materials and techniques which are found in major museums around the world. In accordance with my beilief that restoration should be noninvasive.

Today

Since 2017 while studyng architecture and art and I did my first auction adquisition of a Hamsburg School Oil painting Portrait by the painter John Darby Murdoch dated on 1842, with the intention appreticeship to learn the art of conservation. I researched since then mastering the procedures and process of fine art conservation and restoration.

Tomorrow

While other conservation studios have been grown exponentially. I been decided to keep small by fostering a personal relationship with every art work the best result can be achieved.

History

Artists On The Move: Portraits For A New Nation

Portraiture was the dominant form of American painting in the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century. At first, the cost and limited availability of artists, most of them born abroad and influenced by English artistic trends,restricted painted likenesses to the upper class. To this small group, portraits were an expression of self-worth that reinforced or suggested wealth and social position. In the years after the American Revolution, an increasingly affluent and status-conscious middle class demanded access to material goods. This new rank of Americans used the portrait to express their pride in societal and economic accomplishments and their likenesses became a reflection of their own self-image. Increased desire for such portrayals led to an extraordinarily productive period between 1820 and 1840 for artists, many of whom were born in this country.

While elite academic artists focused on landscape and historical painting driven by English and European aesthetics, the majority of nineteenth-century painters in this country produced portraits in response to consumer demand. In an era before photography, portraiture served as the only means to capture a visual record of a person. They were important documents at a time when family units were vital to social and economic survival, especially during a period when mortality rates were high.

Portraits also served as an expression of worldly status, and they filled the emotional need of sentimental remembrance. Artists on the Move: Portraits for a New Nation,gathers portraits painted between 1790 and 1840. Drawn from its decorative arts and folk art collections, the assemblage celebrates the rich visual breadth of work created in the formative years of this country. The show explores important concepts surrounding portraiture, including westward migration, regionalism, collecting, consumerism, artistic development, and nationalism. Selections also highlight the movement of artists from coastal regions to newly settled inland areas of the country. While as a whole the thirty-plus portraits are a reflection of the ideals that embodied our new country, individually each painting represents the uniqueness of its subject, maker, and the time in which it was created.

Traditionally, the notion of artists traveling from town to town in search of commissions has focused on New England folk painters. But research reveals that a large number of geographically diverse portraitists, both academically inclined and selftaught, traveled not only within the northeastern United States but throughout the West and South. In pursuit of economic opportunity, painters followed potential leads near and far from home, often journeying into recently settled regions of the new nation.

Examination

The fist step in the process is to review the art works ,once analized a full examination of the art work will be performed.

1. Clean with a dry brush the access of dust

2. Unframe and clean the frame and canvas of dust.

Analize carefully in the back for clues of some notes or marks, noticed it was a double layer notes glued together, the paper shows the negative of the first label in the back.

Work

Analyzing the original Varnish make a taste of the least corrosive varnish removal, I used an emulsion of natural resins & ammoniac, and clean small portions with cotton and clean the leftover with White Spirit.

Emulsion of a Powdered Marble, linseed oil, and natural Resine

Fill the gaps with a spatula then once dried sand ithe excess.

Artist Signature revealed after cleaning

Fine Work

Analyzing the original colors, find the right color for each section of the painting and apply a layer of semi translucent color, to make the original texture comes true, repeat at the same layer proces until the segment disapears on the canvas

Semi translucent oil patina only in the needed areas

Fill the missing color pigments .

DR. Aaron C. Detweiler

BIRTH 7 Apr 1847
Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA

DEATH 6 Jul 1883 ( aged 36)
Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA

BURIAL Charles Evans Cemetery.
Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA.

PLOT Sec. k, Lot 4

MEMORIAL

Died tragically in a drowning accident with his brother Washington, leaving A. Maria Detweiler, his loving Wife. Aaron Detweiler. Hospital Number, 20,278. Aaron Detweiler, Corp’l, Co. Gen’l Hospital, April 2nd, 1865, Suffering from a gunshot wound of right arm, upper third, the ball injuring soft parts. Wounded, March 29th, 1865, at The Battle of Hatcher’s Run, VA. On admission, the condition of injured parts and constitutional state of the patient was good, Result favorable. Harewood U.S.A General Hospital, R.B. BONTECOU, Surgeon U.S., Vols., In Charge.

Besides being a useful and honorable citizen in times of peace, he served his country in trouble during civil strife. His war record is as follows: He enlisted on August 25th of 1864, from Berks County, Philadelphia, and was mustered into service as a corporal to serve one year, or during the war, in Company G, 198th Regt. Penn’a Col. Inf., under the command of Captain Wm. L. Guinter and Col. H. G. Sickel. The regiment was assigned to the First Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac, and he shared the fortunes of the regiment in all its movements and engagements, including the battles of People’s Farm, Sept. 30, 1864, raid on Southside Railroad, October 27, 1864, Weldon Railroad, December 6, 1864, Hatcher’s Run, Feb. 8, 1865, White Oak Swamps, March 31, 1865, Five Forks, April 1, 1865, and Appomatox, April 9, 1865, where Lee surrendered. On June 3, 1865, he was honorably discharged in camp near Washington, D.C. at the close of the war.

Fine Work

Analyzing the original Varnish make a taste in a small area with the less corrosive varnish removal,(an emulsion of natural resins & ammoniac), and then clean small portions with a cotton and clean the left over with White Spirit.

Son of John Murdoch, S.S.C Leith

Artist: John Darby Murdoch

Title: Hamburg School Boy

Date: 1840 C.A.

Technique: Oil on Canvas Painting

Dimensions: 24” X 20”

MEMORIAL

The subject is the only son of John Murdoch, S.S.C Leith, born 27th July, 1826. The young men died while at Hamburg School in 1842.Since John D. Murdoch Jr. did not live to be older than 16, he was 14 years old when the painting was commissioned, which dates the portrait to 1840.

Fine Work

Analyzing the original Varnish make a taste in a small area with the less corrosive varnish removal, (an emulsion of natural resins & ammoniac), and then clean small portions with cotton and clean the leftover with White Spirit. Mostly the pice is in very good condition for its age. the oil has cracks, but that is to be expected of a painting this old. the canvas itself does not have any damage but was necessary to do some retouches in some faded areas.

Fine Work

Analyzing the original Varnish make a taste in a small area with the less corrosive varnish removal,(an emulsion of natural resins & ammoniac), and then clean small portions with cotton and clean the leftover with White Spirit.