How to Fix a Flaking Gainsborough
May 18 2021
Picture: Holkham Hall
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Katherine Hardwick, collections coordinator at Holkham Hall in Norfolk, has penned a blog describing recent conservation work to Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of Thomas William Coke ‘of Norfolk’. Alas, the portrait was found to be suffering from serious 'flaking' ten years ago. A campaign of restoration undertaken in 2011 had since failed to fix the problem. During the past months conservators from the Hamilton Kerr Institute have had another go at fixing the problem with special techniques using glue. The newly restored painting has been rehung in the South Dining Room and will be on display for visitors.