The Conservation Center is excited to have the honor of working on the collection of the Fisher Governor Foundation in Marshalltown, Iowa. Their collection is immense and impressive – the Impressionist Gallery was donated by the late Bill Fisher and features paintings from artists like Mary Cassatt and Camile Pissarro. We are excited to work on this unique cultural and artistic asset, and recently completed treatment of a graceful Degas pastel, “Dancers on Stage.”
One of our art handlers carefully removes the pastel from the wall.
Many of the treatments we do at The Center are dramatic – repairing broken furniture, reconstructing delicate elements of a sculpture, removing yellowed varnish on a painting to reveal a bright sky underneath – but minimal, less immediately noticeable treatments are equally important for the preventative care and preservation of a collection. Much like the importance of a routine medical exam, careful consideration of artworks before they need major maintenance is imperative to avoid the possibility of a later loss.
Our art handlers carefully packaged the work for transport.
The Degas traveled in a crate for safety.
This pastel arrived at The Center in overall good condition. It was mounted to composition board, possibly by Degas himself. The board was slightly warped but not in a way that made it touch the frame, and had slight foxing and a small stain. The frame was in slightly more delicate condition, with minor abrasions and dents throughout, and losses to the gesso, gilding, and plaster.
The piece, prior to treatment.
Our Paper Department began by dry cleaning the surface of the pastel. Then, foxing was minimized and staining reduced using appropriate conservation methods, retouching and integrating areas as needed. The sheet was treated with a deacidification spray to prevent future damage.
The pastel, after receiving treatment in our Paper Department.
Next, our Frames and Gilding department began work on the frame.
An area of loss on the frame.
They began by consolidating the gesso and gilding with adhesives, and then cleaned the piece, using solvents minimally where needed. The area of loss in the decoration was recast in plaster and seamlessly blended into the frame, and any other areas of loss were filled and ingilded to emulate the surrounding surface. Then, a protective layer of microcrystalline wax was applied to the surface, and the restorations were patinated for consistency. Finally, the piece was reinstalled into the existing frame, with an acid free coroplast backing board attached to the reverse.
The back of the piece before treatment.
The back of the piece after treatment.
Though this treatment was minimal, the results are visible – use the slider to view “before” and “after!”
This pastel is aging as elegantly as the dancers it depicts, with proper routine care. Stay tuned for more from the collection of the Fisher Governer Foundation
The signature of the artist.
The piece after treatment.
