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Paintings Conservator Kristin deGhetaldi was enlisted to examine and treat Matriarch. [She shared] a brief description of the work’s
condition issues, her process to treat them, along with photos taken
before and after: “Before conservation treatment began, examination of the painting
confirmed that the surface suffered from the presence of a hazy, whitish
substance typically referred to as efflorescence. This chemical
phenomenon is generally caused by the migration of free fatty acids that
are naturally present in the paint and is not dissimilar from the
whitish haze that we occasionally encounter on chocolate candy. Fatty
acids can be found in waxes, drying oils, and even egg yolk (which is
the primary ingredient for the preparation of egg tempera paint); in
this instance it is possible that White’s paints contained additions of
wax and/or were simply “fatty” to begin with, meaning that he added a
significant amount of drying oil to his pigments. While the underlying
paint layers appeared to be in excellent condition, the efflorescence
was obscuring White’s jewel-like palette consisting of purples, greens,
and blues, and had created disfiguring patterns throughout the sitter’s
hair and neck. Furthermore, if efflorescence that is rich in fatty acids
is not eventually removed or reduced, it can become impossible to
eliminate over time. After careful testing, it was found that this
efflorescence could be safely and effectively removed using a mixture of
organic solvents that did not affect the underlying paint and ground
layers. As there is also a chance that additional fatty acids may
migrate to the surface in the future, the painting was given a very thin
layer of reversible, non-yellowing varnish in order to prevent the
efflorescence from returning.”
To read more about the National Academy collection and the treatment of this painting, visit the NAD NOW web page here.