The truch – Restoring this detail on an old 18th-Century portrait

Aug 23, 2026 #EduardoArtRestorations #oilpaintingrestoration #artrestoration
Restoring a small detail on an old painting can sometimes become one of the most difficult parts of the entire restoration.
In this video, I take you through the restoration of the damaged sleeve of this beautiful early 18th-century portrait, painted in 1703 by Dutch artist Isaac Paling.

When the painting first arrived in my studio, I had no idea how much previous restoration was hiding in this area. During my examination under ultraviolet light, however, I discovered indications of extensive old retouching around the sleeve.

As I carefully removed the old oxidized varnish and previous restoration, the true condition of the painting gradually became visible. A considerable amount of original paint had been lost, leaving a very challenging area to reconstruct visually.

After cleaning, I applied an isolating varnish to create a separation between Isaac Paling's original paint and my new restoration. Then began the slow process of retouching, carefully matching the surrounding colours and forms while preserving as much of the original painting as possible.

My intention is never to repaint the original artwork, but to reintegrate the losses so they no longer distract from the artist's original composition.

After the retouching was completed, the painting received its final varnish, bringing the colours, depth and surface together once again.

Sometimes a relatively small detail can require many hours of work — but seeing it become part of the painting again makes the process incredibly rewarding.

The complete restoration of this beautiful portrait can also be found here on my channel:

@EduardoArtRestorations

#EduardoArtRestorations
#oilpaintingrestoration
#artrestoration
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Eduardo Art Restorations
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