In late-2023, construction is scheduled to be completed on the University of Notre Dame's new art museum. The new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art will increase the University's capacity to display its art collection and accept programs that the current facility, the Snite Museum of Art, cannot because of size restrictions. In preparation for the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art opening, select paintings are undergoing treatment by The Conservation Center staff in preparation for display in their new home.
Portrait of Simon van der Does (1619) - before treatment
Portrait of Simon van der Does (1619) is interestingly a portrait painting of a landscape artist. It was painted in 1619 by Jan Anthonisz van Ravesteyn (Dutch, ca. 1570 - 1657), an artist to the Dutch court in The Hague. The subject of the painting, Simon van der Does (1653 – after 1717), was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter.
The artist’s signature is present at the upper right of the painting.
It is a classic Dutch Golden Age painting, with many characteristics expected of such a finely executed painting. The painting is on a wooden panel with vertical wood grain, comprised of three panels joined together vertically with a cradle. Upon examination, the conservator noted small cracks between each panel, and the panels were also no longer precisely in-plane.
The painting was executed with oil paint that was thinly applied atop the artist's applied ground layer. There were several areas of old inpainting, especially apparent on the proper right cheek of the man, on his nose bridge, and his hand. Spots in these areas have turned white and are disfiguring. Additionally, heavier areas of retouching appeared in the black clothes along the lower half and a 6" x 8" area in the lower-left corner that had a hazy appearance.
Detail of the figure’s face showing old inpainting at the nose and cheek.
Detail of discolored inpainting.
Detail of figure’s hand showing discolored inpainting on the fingers.
However, as none of the retouching showed under UV light, it was uncertain if the haziness was from retouching or the varnish layer. The varnish layer appeared to be a clear synthetic resin varnish but was uneven in sheen.
Painting under UV light
The first treatment step was to surface clean to remove the light grime layer. Conservators also cleaned the back of the painting to remove any grime using a soft brush and vacuum. Cradled paintings often gather dust, grime, and other particulates on the many surfaces created by the cradle's crossbars.
The painting conservator determined the best course of treatment after testing the varnish and paint surface. Rather than remove the previous areas of inpainting, it was decided to take a more conservative treatment approach. Areas of previous retouching were toned with conservation-grade paints to integrate the discolorations with the surrounding areas. Using reversible conservation paints ensures that a professional conservator can remove the toning in the future. A final coat of varnish was applied to address the uneven sheen of the painting, giving visual cohesion to admirers of this lovely portrait.
Once reinstalled into the frame, the reverse was fitted with an acid-free coroplast backing board to provide additional protection and prevent the gathering of dust on the cradle. Portrait of Simon van der Does is now ready and waiting for its new home once the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art is complete. In the meantime, our team of conservators begins work on the painting from the Snite Museum collection. We are proud to assist the University of Notre Dame as they continue their history of sharing art and creativity with the community.
““This new museum building and its collection will bring together the healing power of the arts, of creativity and our strengthened humanity and solidarity — so needed as we move beyond the pandemic,” Marie Lynn Miranda, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost of the University, said. “The diversity and inclusion represented in all forms of visual arts are gifts we must share and experience with one another.””
Portrait of Simon van der Does (1619) after treatment
Portrait of Simon van der Does (1619), verso, after treatment
