'Uncovering the original colours' This 'Shell fishermen and bomb barges on the beach' by Barend Cornelis Koekkoek (1840 - 1912) was painted during the later periode of his life. Characteristic for this time was his impressionistic way of handling his brush. In this way he gives his scenes a theatrical depth with virtuoso clouds. Not only was the yellowed varnish removed. In this post I also show you some details of the back of the painting. This side is often covered in dirt. In this case the dirt also involved cobweb and dead insects, such as spiders (how glamorous!!!). Here I remove dirt from between the canvas and the wooden structure with a feather. I am a big fan of this method because of the reach and structure of the feather. To prevent the dirt from falling back in a portable museum vacuum cleaner does the trick. (my colleague on the photo is @madeleinevaudremer) Although the varnish removal seems prevalent, it's the restorers job to minutely treat the whole painting. This dirty job was as important as the varnish removal to prevent it from furher degradation. Accumulation causes deformation. Furthermore, dirt attracts animals and moist (fungus) on our art works. After starting in Amsterdam Barend Cornelis Koekkoek moved to Hilversum, cradle of the Larense School. During the 80's and 90's his paintings, such as the one restored here, come with a sealed declaration of authenticity, showing the title and date. #Thehagueschool #Labelsonart #BarendcornelisKoekkoek #dirtyjob #atelieriddi #paintingsconservator #restauratieschilderijen (bij Restauratie Atelier IDDI) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXK_PPDo2rO/?utm_medium=tumblr