The conservation and restoration of the Architecture Lunette at the RWA in Bristol - Page 2

The canvas is carefully supported on a frame. Underneath, the damage to the wall is obvious: the water has dissolved the plaster, causing it to turn to sand which had, in turn, been collecting behind the canvas. The entire area of the damaged wall needs removing and rebuilding before the canvas can be successfully replaced.

The damaged plaster is removed, revealing the wall beneath, which luckily had not been damaged by the water. Using samples from the original plaster layers, the wall can now be built up with materials sympathetic to the original.

Once the new plaster layer is completely ready, both the reverse of the canvas and the wall are prepared with the adhesive Isinglass. The canvas is carefully folded back into place, using props to distribute even pressure across the board used to support the canvas.