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My question involves an antique frame that I think is from about 1845 surrounding a standard full sized portrait (the portrait is dated 1843). It is a simple wood frame with no composition. The frame appears to have a very old finish which is a dark bronze color. What I do not understand is that one sees gilding beneath the finish coat throughout. If one scratches the finish one sees gilt.
I attach some photos in case my description is inadequate.
Can someone tell me if the current finish is probably original (which is what it looks like), and why there is a finish coat over the gilding. Is it a severely darkened varnish or shellac, or is it really paint? I of course wonder if I could remove the current finish and reveal the still very bright gilding.
It wouldn't be the first gilded frame that someone has decided looks a bit worn and given it a nice coat of yucky gold paint to freshen it up. Stripping the paint off is possible, although the original gilding will never be the same as it would have been. Then there is the question of if the previous 'restoration' should be regarded as part of the frame's history and character.
Lots of clued-up people here. More in your neck of the woods.
Are you looking for conservation of the frame or restoration of the frame.
A conservator might just remove the bronze paint.
A restorer would prep the surface and regild the frame.
You are not that far from Buffalo, NY. At the State University there, there is a conservation department. Jonathan Thornton is a historical gilding expert on staff. I took several of his courses years ago.
Hello Phil
Prosero is right, the frame has been painted with gold paint.You can remove it as follows, but bear in mind that you would want an overall antique tone to the resulting finish.So the best thing is to remove the paint in gradual layers untill you achieve a finish that best suits the painting. Get some industrial methylated spirits if you can ( use the blue stuff if you can't) and work it gently into the paint with 0000 grade wire wool. The paint will slowly dissolve and the wire wool will cut into it gradually. As you see the gold leaf coming through, use a cotton cloth and then cotton wool to clean up the gilding. When the finish dries it may look quite dull but use the tone of the wet finish to decide when to stop cleaning. Wash the frame gently with cold water and allow to dry. If the frame is too dull, layer on a coat of slightly dilute rabbit skin glue size.
Good luck
You suggest putting a layer of glue size if it is dull. Is this the same as the animal glues that furniture builders use? It seems strange that a coat of glue will increase the sheen! Could you clarify? Thanks,
Many American frames of that era were toned with a hide glue base. There are also some recipes that used bronze powder with hide glue. This formed a media that could be burnished.
The glue size I mean is made from rabbit skin glue, made up to a standard of one part vol of glue to 10 parts vol water; then diluted by a quarter. This size is essentially liquid gelatine which when dry, leaves a clear film over the surface and so increases the light reflection of the gilding. The dull finish left on cleaned gilding is often from deposits of old paints and varnishes.
JFeig wrote:You are not that far from Buffalo, NY. At the State University there, there is a conservation department. Jonathan Thornton is a historical gilding expert on staff. I took several of his courses years ago.
Having worked on many frames like the one you mention it is very unlikely you will be able to remove whatever is over the gilded surface without spoiling it. As a rule, I would try hot gelatin over a section of the frame with cotton wool to see if there is any movement in the surface covering. Don't be too hasty in doing this, try it a few times over the same trial area and see if it is dissolving/moving the surface. This is a gentle method in itself. Hot gelatin will also break through a polished surface, should someone have used a shellac medium in the past. It will not break through a lacquer however.
If this proves unsuccessful, I would take the surface off the frame, re set the corners, size and go through the process and re-gild the frame. The final finish could be as you want it, a bright new re-gilded frame or tones, distressing methods could be used to add the appearance of age to it.
Good luck, without seeing it first hand, frames like this can be very easy to do though I have had many where lacquers have been used in the past which can make things more difficult.
