The Old Hussar - Dramatic Varnish Removal!

A forgotten 19th-century cavalry officer returns to life through the careful process of art restoration.

This mid-Victorian portrait, signed J. Loder pinx 1848, arrived at the studio darkened by age — its varnish yellowed, the canvas slack, and the frame broken. Beneath the dirt lay an extraordinary discovery: an officer of the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars, resplendent in full-dress uniform, his identity only hinted at by a single word written on the back of the canvas — Gillard.

In this episode, I clean and strip-reline the painting, repair the frame, and uncover the story of the artist James Loder of Bath, whose equestrian portraits captured the pride of Britain’s volunteer cavalry. Step by step, the colours return, the gold braid shines once more, and history reveals itself through brushwork and varnish.

Restored and researched by Bloomfield Art Fine Art & Restoration
Artist: James Loder (1784 – 1860)
Subject: Officer, Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry Cavalry – 1848