Restoring Our Old Masters - Part 2: Assessing the Damage
2 Video Views·Aug 4, 2026
In the second of our new series of videos about the Chapel Paintings at Wentworth Woodhouse, we take a look at the work that will need to be done to restore our rare collection of Old Masters. Over the coming months, restorers will assess the condition of each of the paintings. They will be cleaned and where necessary restored and relined. We'll continue to follow progress in upcoming video releases which will go live in 2026.
A few weeks ago, we shared our first film
Around Saints and Apostles Restoring Old Masters
This was how the building process began, building and constructing
The furnishings of the room.
We have given one or two lectures later
for participation.
The results were extremely impressive.
Proceed into the room,
13 different frames that have been obtained
And Christ to the Apostles.
Thank you for supporting the Welsh Language Society Room, Welsh Society Wales.
If you'd like to help me build something impossible,
Do what you can do
in order to avoid the comment in the connection over there.
In this episode, we follow the lectures
while taking them out of the room
we're joining our producers, Simon and Martin,
with their acquisition and planning for the buildings needed for each lecture.
This project is important, because according to the majority of political rooms,
The Welsh Society Room had occupied all the time slots on the sales in the 1940s.
The room is being given the pictures that were taken of him.
In 1780, and that's something impossible.
On the other hand, it is the artist himself
An artist or a school.
It concerns Gerard Seggers, who is interesting with schools.
The first thing is, it's not important, but there are many other photographs that know
They are currently in Wales.
Doddodd and the longest day of the month in the Welsh Society Society of Wales 2025,
with the institution of a partition between the two parts of the room
for building all the interest with schools.
The area, inspired, was clearly evident to the cultural regulators.
first network body of 7 photographs
within a single framework on the general waterway
It would have been difficult to build due to its operation and general setup.
The frameworks are made of wood,
connected with a small part of a common connection
connected to each other using rural roads.
Some of the cultural regulators are made of water.
It is properly connected to growth and two.
There was a good connection between the two,
The three regulators were carefully observing the cultural regulators of the water.
A general meeting regarding the water.
The 7 photographs were well connected.
the green photographs in the largest frame
It's a beautiful day,
The photographs were well connected.
I'm looking for another job in my two services in Wales.
The documentation of the photographs of the waterfall is available here
They have made another attempt in the chapel.
These photographs were clearly not the special photographs.
having been connected in 1789,
We've felt incredibly uneasy
I did allan pan would the photographs be connected
The most beautiful connection that looks great.
Some of the photographs provided the cultural hearing.
In Pensyl, on the water of this baton frame,
The sound of J. Smith and the boy,
December 1916
Meanwhile, during the world war,
The Cwnt S. Maud organization had submitted
advisors designing the paint, J. and H. Reeves
I present a particular work on design work in the collection
between the years 1915 and 1917.
We did not know whether the chapel's painters had worked on them.
and I'm not sure they were divided
Another way for now.
Gallai'r fframwaith ymgynghorwyr Smith a'i gweithwyr
have been workers or workers
J. A. H. Reeves
It was generally common for consultants to contact their work.
It has been securely provided for our consultants,
Simon and Martin have assessed their situation
what the consultants and their staff will do
It is necessary for every work.
Simon has submitted 4 more frameworks
to tell us about St. Matthias.
That might be the framework
is in the best possible condition
of the 4 of their framework.
He seems to have had a little bit of ordinary time.
The water has advanced beyond the framework.
also the same
I will show it now
the mol collection
That has already happened in such a way.
The framework has also been flattened on the stage.
The water has advanced.
the bar stretcher.
A hefyd, the framework has been
go ahead with something
if anything has been done regarding the framework,
focusing on
Yes, I can.
In addition to the framework,
the developed water
within a numerical framework
The only way to report this is thus
They are draining the water.
The water will also be drawn
to divide the great framework
It's been a long time since then.
There is a significant problem with St John
your additional framework and the flap
It is also being done
a discussion on the water framework.
The framework does not appear
I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.
This is an active participation.
in the middle of the framework.
The flaw must be revealed.
I can do nothing about it.
In the years,
and the rest of the water,
Ms. Martin is assessing
the first principle of the framework,
including St. Peter, St. Paul
a Jesus Christ, Savior Monday.
St. Paul has been shown
in the framework of time.
It's a huge flop
extra water
the framework
It must be shown.
Another aspect of the matter,
Martin has to
to show the parts of the flap
the framework,
and the crystal of the manner
the majority of the framework
in the studio.
St. Paul will appear
the accidental
I had been shown.
That's Salvatore Monday
Christ is our life.
to take a bath
Not at all.
It's a framework
unknown
I'm their own drawers
otherwise it's
Books of the world
It's in another world
I'm a librarian.
It feels
Salvatore Monday will be on the face
to have him arrested
recent law
otherwise the water itself
Even clearer
with great care
the other frameworks.
The caretaker will be there.
managed to find
between the greater part
the future
the rights.
The framework
YMA
to give feedback
and the miracles
wide-ranging discussions
St. Peter
to have
and paper books
water and foundation.
It's obvious
people of the world
in the majority
the other drawers
to have
Basic books
and crystal ago
Basic books.
She also
a fragile thing
the water part
untranslatable
to have
the majority of frameworks
it's getting me
Areas in the centre
of the painting
clearly show
where fragments of paint
have fallen off.
Martin is hoping
that restoration
of St. Peter
may be managed
in the studio
The last painting
we're featuring
in this film
Is St. Bartholomew
And this is a happier story.
This is St. Bartholomew
Who is in?
far more robust condition
than the ones
we have looked at so far.
He is not at all unreliable.
and does not require lining
and very hard
to find anything
Something is wrong with him.
I have cleaned.
the bottom half
of the surface dirt
and the coal dust
and the varnish
And I think it looks marvelous.
Again, the hands are
perhaps a bit too large
and the drapery
seems to be
more meticulously painted
than some other parts
particularly on St. Andrew
and I'm looking forward
to going to one's head
In the next few days.
But whatever the specific state
of each of the paintings
they all have
One thing in common
and that's thick layers
of coal dust
and grime
and yellow-brown varnish.
We're all aware
of the damage to the gardens
from the late 1940s
caused by enforced
open-pit mining
which extended
near where I'm standing
on the west front of the house
and not far
from the site of the chapel.
This, as well as centuries
of earlier coal mining
most certainly
explains the dirty condition
of the paintings
Join us next time
and we'll see Simon and Martin
showing us
some specialist cleaning
and de-varnishing skills
and we'll see what happens
in the relining process
Don't forget to subscribe
for free on our YouTube channel
to follow our progress
and if you'd like
to make a donation
to assist in the restoration
of the chapel
and our paintings
Use the JustGiving link below.