Barros Fine Art Conservation

Name: M. Cerf
Item: London
Rating: 5
Author: M. Cerf

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Cleaning

Cleaning

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There are several stages to the cleaning of a painting, each stage distinct and separate:

The removal of dirt and grime
The Varnishing
The Retouching
The Overpainting.

This process should only be done by a trained professional painting restorer.

Top photo shows a swab with residue of dirt and grime.

This photo shows a painting half clean where the dirt and grime has been removed.

Some of the paintings in my home were acquired in the past fifty years, three from the painter himself, others bought from auctions or dealers. Several are much older, inherited from family estate. They had not been cleaned for at least twenty years.
Mrs Barros very skilfully not merely cleaned them, but also was able to return to them a fresh look, with their colours back to their original brightness. Several, whose canvas had to be restored to its original state, were also successfully returned. I am very pleased with the work performed; it has added a new life to much loved artistic descriptions of faces, of movements, of natural, human and animal surroundings, of countryside, of situations and actions. M. Cerf 31^st May 2017
M. Cerf London June 1, 2017

We have two large oil portraits of some of my wife’s nineteenth ancestors. Happily we contracted Delmina Barros to clean and revarnish both. The result was most satisfactory showing a big improvement in colour and clarity. We are so glad we had this done. Keith Jones in Kew

Keith Jones Kew July 11, 2017