Conservation treatment transformed a beautifully worked graphite-pencil landscape by Thomas Gainsborough that was considered too damaged to exhibit. The graphite had not changed over time, but the aging paper had darkened and yellowed, reducing contrast and interfering with the legibility of the drawing. Stains and discoloration on the paper were removed by a washing treatment, making the image easier to read and restoring the sparkle of sunlight the artist had achieved by leaving portions of the sheet untouched.
Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788), Landscape with a Decayed Willow over a Pool, 1754–1756. Graphite with smudging on laid paper. Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) in 1909, inv. III, 47