Robert Smirke. English, 1752-1845
Scene from Cibber’s “The Provoked Husband.” Late 18th Century
Oil on canvas
Scene from Cibber’s “The Provoked Husband.” Late 18th Century
Oil on canvas
Robert Smirke’s The Provoked Husband,
was acquired by the Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) in 1952. Initially, the frame was assumed to be of English origin, as is the painting, but after some examination it was determined that the cove profile, with lamb tongue at the sight edge, the banded reeds, and the rondel-shaped spandrel were indicative of a classical Federalist frame.The frame was cracking badly, ornament on flutes and outside edges were lost and there was a large amount of active flaking. Additionally, lap joints were visible and the spandrel had a textured surface, indicating a walnut shell or sand finish. The addition of another layer of gilding caused the surface to cross-link and crack, causing further deterioration. Initial solubility testing of select sections of the frame proved effective in swelling layers, revealing that traditional water gilding techniques had been originally used to apply the gold.
Additionally, a variety of gilding campaigns seemd to have been undertakedn. The use of multiple water gilding techniques caused water infiltration which eventually led to cleavage and lifting between multiple layers. The continuous use of aqueous solutions weakened gesso layers, exacerbating the damage. Overall it seems as though past treatments have greatly compromised the integrity of the object.
Arguably the most difficult area of the frame to conserve was the spandrel, a deceptively simple, unassuming feature. Microscopy cross-section testing of gilding on the spandrel and frame revealed that there were four layers of gesso, clay, and gold. After these were examined, an additional layer of gold was discovered. These together totaled five known layers of separate gilding on the spandrel.
Although the spandrel, its frame, and the painting are all contemporaneous, it has been hypothesized that the frame was not originally intended to house a spandrel. This is due to its wide but simple designs and the later date of the supporting strips. Stylistically, Federalist frames containing spandrels were either ornate, to match the designs of the spandrel, or thing and plain, with the main focus being on the spandrel detail. There is no history of undecorated spandrels, such as seen on the Smirke frame. It is possible that the frame maker was given the dimensions of the canvas, but no told that the painting was one intended for a spandrel frame. Upon receiving the painting, and realizing the error, the gilt spandrel was added. Since there is no history of unadorned spandrels, it is possible that decoration was not added because it would no longer match the intended simplicity of the frame.
The addition of ornament would also be problematic because there was no evidence of ornament to recreate, and attempting to create something that may have never existed could have been considered historically inappropriate. Staff at the National Portrait Gallery in London hypothesized that the frame may have been of American manufacture, and modified for an English artist.
Conservation Techniques
Before any conservation could take place, the piece was thoroughly photographed and examined. Because the frame’s surface was experiencing extensive problems of lifting and flaking gold leaf, the next and primary course of action was consolidation. Various materials were considered for this process, including animal glue, wax resin, acrylic, and polyvinyl acetate. The safety of the conservators, and the need to avoid softening the damaged frame areas with a wet solution, were priorities in choosing the appropriate consolidant. As a result, Lascaux 4176, an acrylic prefabricated solution, was chosen. This solution was carefully applied to the cracks between the gold on the outside edges of the frame’s covers. Light heat and pressure were applied with a tacking iron to soften layers into the original contours.Consolidating the frame
To remove the layers of gilding and clay, the surface of the spandrel was softened with a damp sponge soaked in a solution of 20% alcohol, 80% water and left to set for five to ten minutes. The water softened the gold and clay, and the alcohol helped relieve surface tension. A shorter time proved more efficient because the gold and clay were softened adequately for easier removal, but the gesso remained solid. This helped to conserve the underlying gesso layer better, subjecting it to less loss. The softened gold was then removed through the careful use of a knife to split the clay and gold layers from the original gesso.
After removing layers & regilding spandrel
After all the gilding was removed, thick gesso was added to smooth over nicks left by the knife. Twelve thin layers of gesso (a mixture made of rabbit skin glue and calcium carbonate) were then applied. The new layers of gesso were sanded smooth to prepare the frame for several coats of red clay. The clay acts as a colorant for the gold, and provides a warm tone through the gold. IN the final step fo the gilding preparation , the clay was sanded, rubbed with steel wool, linen, and horsehair cloth in order to remove all impurities. Initial testing of the water gilding method proved that the clay was susceptible to reforming when in contact with the prepared sizing for the gold. To combat this, a French polish was applied, sanded, and burnished again. To gild the spandrel, water-gilding techniques were used, mimicking those in the original construction of the frame. Twenty-two and a-half karat dark gold was chosen to match the existing gold, and the frame was toned to mimic its proper age.