Portrait Painting

Portrait of a Woman in a Headscarf

Indian School · 20th century · Oil on canvas

4 weeks

In the studio

Portrait of a Woman in a Headscarf — before treatment

Portrait of a Woman in a Headscarf — after treatment

AfterBefore

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Drag the handle to compare the work as received with the work as returned.

The Story

A half-length portrait — a woman in a dark headscarf, painted with quiet, direct attention — arrived with a running crack across the chest and shoulder, and no frame to protect the canvas from handling.

The crack was consolidated first, securing the paint on either side of the split before any surface cleaning began, so nothing further could be lost while the grime was addressed.

With the crack stabilised and the surface cleaned, the portrait was set into a conservation frame — its quiet presence restored, and the canvas properly protected for the future.

The Damage: A running crack across the chest and shoulder had split the paint layer, while the unframed canvas sat unprotected and vulnerable to further damage.
The Process: Consolidation along the crack line to secure the paint layer, careful cleaning of accumulated grime, and conservation framing to protect the canvas going forward.
The Outcome: The crack was stabilised and made visually unobtrusive, the surface cleaned of grime, and the portrait returned in a frame built to protect it for the long term.