Davis conservation

Historic New England objects conservator Michaela Neiro supervised the conservation treatment and stabilization of this exhibition’s paintings and frames over a period of two years. The Conservator’s Notebook features explanations and insights that Michaela has drawn from her project notebook, including close-up photographs showing how the work was done.

Though it is relatively plain, the elegant frame of A Country Landscape was actually one of the most difficult to conserve. Its basic elements are solid wood coated with a thin layer of gesso formed in a pattern of parallel reeding. The frame’s maker covered the gesso with gray bole (fine grained colored clay with rabbit skin glue), followed by oil gilding.

Scroll through the images below to see our process to conserve the frame.