Restoring a 280 year old Gentleman | An Amazing Clean & History Mystery
Feb 13, 2026 ✪ Members first on February 12, 2026 BLOOMFIELD ART | FINE ART RESTORATION | FRAMING
This week’s restoration takes us back to the 1740s.
Beneath layers of discoloured varnish and nearly three centuries of grime, a provincial Georgian gentleman slowly re-emerges. The dating comes largely from his wig, waistcoat, and coat — all placing him firmly in the mid-18th century.
But the real intrigue began when I turned the painting over.
A handwritten label links it to Percy Joseph Pym — leading to Hazells Hall in Bedfordshire. An estate inventory from 1761 records just one “picture in a gilt frame” hanging in the End Parlour.
Could this be that very portrait?
In this episode I assess, clean, research, compare more than twenty contemporary artists, and explore the possibility that this painting once hung in a Bedfordshire manor house nearly 300 years ago.
Not every 18th-century portrait was painted by a famous master — but that doesn’t make the story any less compelling.
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ABOUT Bloomfield Art Restoration is an unlimited series exploring the art restoration of oil paintings, period history, and artists lives.
ABOUT Bloomfield Art & James Bloomfield Bloomfield Art specialise in all aspects of art restoration, oil easel painting restoration and fine art conservation. We offer fine art restoration and picture cleaning services across the North West of England, We also offer a National Painting Restoration service. Bloomfield Art is an associate member of the British Association of Paintings Conservators - Restorer's (BAPCR) . We have a selection of quality antique oils for sale please vivit our website to see our current stock, we offer free international shipping:
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We have completed art restoration work on behalf of Christies London, National Gallery Ireland, the NHS, local authorities, schools, churches and historic houses. We have also worked on paintings by Sir Terry Frost, Ambrose McAvoy, Mary Fedden, Kyffin Williams, Robert Lenkowiez, Helen Bradley, L.S Lowry, R.R. Reinagle, J.Hopner, W.Sant and many more. James Bloomfield is an accredited Art Restorer and Artist and has worked on 1000's of oil paintings. He was selected for the prestigious John Moores painting prize in 2012 and has his artworks in museum collections in the UK. He lives and works in Manchester England.
Bloomfield Art Restoration cleans a 280-year-old portrait, uncovering layers of varnish, soot, and a family history. A handwritten label reveals a possible connection to a Bedfordshire manor house and the Pymm family. Careful cleaning and UV analysis reveal surprising details about the portrait's past and the artist's technique.
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