Amazing Varnish Reveal on This 19th Century Portrait | Part 2
Jul 25, 2026 BLOOMFIELD ART | FINE ART RESTORATION | FRAMING
After completing the structural repairs in Part One, it’s finally time to reveal what has been hiding beneath the surface of this remarkable 19th-century portrait.
In this episode, the canvas is carefully flattened on the heated table before decades of dirt, oxidised varnish and surface contamination are removed. As the original colours begin to emerge, the portrait starts to regain the depth and character intended by the artist over 200 years ago.
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James Bloomfield specialises 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 continues the meticulous conservation of a 19th-century portrait by utilizing a heated vacuum table to stabilize the canvas. Following the structural repairs, the focus shifts to a multi-stage cleaning process to carefully remove layers of historical grime, discolored varnish, and nicotine stains, ultimately preparing the piece for final retouching.
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