Recovering the clarity and stability of a historic watercolour affected by foxing.
Overview
This historic watercolour had been affected by a combination of foxing, acidic mounting materials and prolonged display, resulting in widespread staining, mount burn and gradual deterioration of the paper support. Although structurally stable, these alterations significantly affected both the appearance of the artwork and its long-term preservation.
Conservation Strategy
The project focused on addressing both the visible deterioration and its underlying causes.
Rather than treating the foxing alone, the intervention included the removal of unsuitable historic mounting materials that continued to contribute to the degradation of the paper. The objective was to recover the visual balance of the watercolour while ensuring its long-term stability.
Treatment
Following careful surface cleaning, the acidic secondary support was removed using controlled conservation techniques, allowing safe access to the reverse of the artwork.
Targeted treatment significantly reduced foxing, mount burn and associated discolouration while preserving the sensitive watercolour media. The paper was then carefully flattened before the artwork was rehoused in a bespoke museum-standard mount and conservation frame using archival materials and UV-filtering glazing.
Outcome
The treatment significantly improved the visual clarity of the watercolour while stabilising the paper support and removing the principal sources of ongoing deterioration.
The artwork is now protected within a museum-standard framing system, ensuring safe display and long-term preservation while allowing its original tonal qualities to be appreciated once again.
