I recently cleaned this small harbour scene, and it turned out to be a particularly satisfying treatment because the difference was much greater than I had expected when I first saw the painting.
At first glance, the painting was simply rather dull and dirty. There was a general yellowish cast across the surface and the darker areas, particularly around the boats and foreground, had become quite difficult to read. The pale buildings on the left had also lost much of their definition and the sky looked considerably greyer than it does now.
With older paintings it isn’t always immediately obvious how much of this is the painting itself and how much is the result of what has accumulated on the surface over the years. Dirt and grime can make a considerable difference, while an old varnish layer can gradually discolour and change the balance of the colours underneath it.
This is why I always start with small cleaning tests rather than assuming how a painting is going to respond. Different areas of a painting can behave quite differently and it is important to establish what can safely be removed without affecting the original paint.
What changed during cleaning
As I worked across this painting, it became clear just how much the surface coatings had been affecting its appearance.
The change in the sky was probably the most noticeable. The rather muted grey blue became a much fresher, cooler blue and the clouds became considerably easier to distinguish. The buildings and cliffs on the left also became much clearer, with whites, creams and warmer tones appearing that were difficult to see before cleaning.
There was a similar improvement in the centre of the painting. The boats, figures and their reflections became much more distinct, and there is now considerably more separation between the various elements of the scene. Even the dark foreground benefited. It is still a dark area, as the artist intended, but there is now more variation within it rather than everything merging into a fairly uniform brown.
For me, this is one of the interesting things about cleaning an old painting. It isn’t necessarily a question of making it brighter. Removing dirt and discoloured coatings can restore differences between colours and tones that have gradually become obscured. Details that appeared to have disappeared may still be there, but have simply become increasingly difficult to see.
Can all old paintings be cleaned like this?
Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing exactly how a painting will respond until it has been examined and tested.
The condition of the paint, the materials used by the artist, previous restoration and the type and condition of any varnish all have to be taken into account. Occasionally a painting has also been cleaned quite aggressively in the past, which can limit what can safely be done subsequently.
For the same reason, I don’t recommend trying to clean an old painting at home. Water, household cleaning products and solvents can all cause problems, and it can be surprisingly difficult to tell the difference between a layer sitting on top of the paint and the paint itself.
A much clearer view of the original painting
In this case, cleaning made a very worthwhile difference. The painting hasn’t been made to look new, nor have colours been added to make it more attractive. What has changed is that the colours, contrasts and details already present in the painting can be seen much more clearly.
Looking at the before and after photographs together gives a much better idea of the extent of the change than either photograph does on its own.
I clean and restore paintings from my studio in the London area. If you have an old oil painting that has become dirty, dark or yellowed, photographs are usually enough for me to give you an initial idea of its condition and whether cleaning is likely to be worthwhile.