Mifflin Frame | Mysite

Frame and painting, both before treatment. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

Back of frame, before treatment. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

Front of frame, before treatment. Cleaning tests are visible at upper left side and upper right corner. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

Detail of right side, before treatment, showing split in sight edge and overgilded damages on flats. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

Detail of upper right corner, before treatment. Rosette is an indistinctly cast and poorly seated replacement cast from modern materials, likely an epoxy resin. The damage to the surrounding finish may be related to adhesives or solvents used in the attachment of this replacement rosette. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

Detail of left side, before treatment. Bright overgilding can be seen on the flats, and a thick, glossy surface coating has been applied to the fluted cove, ribbon-and-stick, and water leaf elements.

Bright over-gilding and thick, glossy varnish removed from lower right corner. Detail, during treatment.

Dark grime or toning layer on outer flat reduced using aqueous citrate solution at pH 8.5. Detail, during treatment.

Replacement rosette removed from upper right corner. Detail, during treatment. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

Site of cleaning window and replacement rosette, upper right corner. Detail, after treatment. Surface irregularities have been filled using a bulked animal protein glue, and gilding losses have been restored by oil gilding over a barrier layer of Paraloid B-72 in Aromatic 100 solvent and toned using Qor colors. A new replacement rosette was cast in epoxy casting resin from molds taken from existing original rosette, gilded and toned, and adhered using bulked B-72 in acetone. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

Site of cleaning window (indicated by bracket-cleaning window extends from sight edge to ribbon-and-stick moulding) and water leaf element cleaned to earliest gilding generation (indicated by arrow), upper left member. Detail, after treatment. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

Site of split in timber, right sight edge. Detail, after treatment. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

Front of frame, after treatment. (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki)

(Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki; map by Jonathan Stevens)

X-radiograph of lower left corner, before treatment. (Imaging by Jason Wierzbicki)

Cross-section samples taken from discrete design elements of frame after cleaning, showing three layers of gold on almost all elements. Photographed under epifluorescence bright field illumination, 40x objective. Sites marked on image of frame indicate element of frame sampled and not specific location.

Cross-section sample of flute carving, after cleaning, showing four layers of gold on this element. Photographed under epifluorescence bright field illumination (above), and normal light (below), 40x objective. Site marked on image of frame indicates element of frame sampled and not specific location.

Frame and painting, both after treatment (digitally combined). (Photographed by Jason Wierzbicki, digitally combined by Jonathan Stevens))

Treatment of

Frame for Portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin (Sarah Morris)

John Singleton Copley

(1773)

Philadelphia Museum of Art

This gilded frame surrounds a 1773 portrait by John Singleton Copley of Thomas Mifflin and Sarah Morris Mifflin, a prominent Philadelphia couple. In addition to some minor structural issues and unsympathetic loss compensations, the frame had several generations of over-gilding and a thick, glossy surface finish which were unappealing and inconsistent with the appearance of the earliest gilding layers. The treatment involved structural stabilization of the wooden substrate, the fabrication of a new corner rosette element, selective removal of over-gilding and surface finish, and reintegration of damages, losses, sites of cleaning tests, and loss compensations. This treatment was supervised by PMA paintings conservator Lucia Bay, and consultation and guidance on cleaning tests and finish treatment was provided by Stephanie Hulman, conservator and owner at Decorative Arts Conservation, LLC.

View full conservation treatment report HERE