At 8½ feet tall and 6½ feet wide with over 150 painted figures, James Van Fossan’s “Drama Magnifico” was a sight to behold in our conservation laboratory. The large oil painting, which reportedly took the artist over 4,000 hours to complete, is like a modern version of Rubens’ swirling celestial compositions (Vail Daily).
Recto Before Treatment
Verso Before Treatment
The Center received the painting unframed. The painting’s original stretcher, with one vertical and one horizontal crossbar, was missing half of its keys. According to our Painting Department, the linen canvas displayed evidence of restretching along the left edge of the work, which may have caused the soft rippling at the right edge. On all sides of the painting were abrasions from previous framing, and embedded in the varnish layer were dust particles and fibers.
Before Treatment Detail of Dust and Grime
The painting was in relatively good shape, so the treatment was minimal. The missing keys were replaced, and the tension of the canvas was adjusted slightly. Both sides of the canvas were then cleaned to remove grime and dust.
Before Treatment Detail of Verso
Before Treatment Detail of Verso
The client utilized The Center’s Custom Framing Department to create a new stylish and protective casing for the painting. The sleek black frame complements the contrasting shades of the painting while not distracting from the composition. The work was completed with an acid-free Coroplast backing board and hanging hardware for convenient installation.
Recto After Treatment
Verso After Treatment
To further preserve the history of the painting, the client also elected to have a special album made. The custom album, created by our Digital Media Department, is a collection of documents that range from letters of provenance to artist sketches to photos of the painting process. Every document was printed on archival paper and inserted in protective sleeves. As the history of the painting expands, the album is able to expand with it and preserve all the memories associated with “Drama Maginifico.”
Custom Album
Custom Album
See some examples of archival material included in the album below.
