Oil painting – varnish removal

One of the great pleasures for the restorer is to witness the 'unveiling' of a beautifully painted image. As the layers of surface dirt and discoloured varnish were gradually removed with solvents it became clear that areas of the sky were expertly executed with a pigment made from Lapis Lasuli (mineral lazurite) also known as the 'stone of heaven' derived from the ancient Persian 'lazaward' where it was mined. This version of "Andromeda and Perseus" by Paul Rubens had, at the time it came to the studio, no provenance, as has often been the case with the school of Rubens where many copies were made of successful compositions.
Restored for an Edinburgh client.