Abbie Vandivere
Paintings Conservation, Restoration, Technical Examination
Conservering, Restauratie, Materiaaltechnisch Onderzoek van Schilderijen
From the Ground Up

by Cornelis Claesz van Wieringen, oil on canvas, ca. 1628, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem. Treatment: 11/2009-08/2010

This seascape painting depicts a crusade scene from the 13th century, where Dutch ships allegedly broke through a chain that had been stretched over the Nile river. The event and the painting are important for the history of the city of Haarlem.

The conservation treatment involved a technical examination, investigation into materials and technique, surface cleaning, varnish and overpaint removal, structural treatment, and retouching. The paint had become very abraded during previous restoration treatments, which resulted in thousands of small paint losses at the tops of the canvas threads. Over a period of several months, Abbie  retouched the painting, often one dot at a time. She also made several presentations and articles about the restoration process:

•  Four lectures in Dutch for the museum public about the treatment in progress: ‘Restauratie halverwege: De Inneming van Damiate van C.C. van Wieringen’: View lecture on YouTube / Q&A on YouTube
• Two lectures in Dutch for the museum public about the completed treatment and painting technique: View lecture on YouTube

• Article: with P. Keune and J. Roeders, ‘Onder de loep: Restauratie van vijf schilderijen’, kM, Vol. 76, No. 27, winter 2010