The Yellow House
Signed: Walter H. Smith
Oil on Canvas 28 X 34
Examination & Treatment
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| West Franklin
Street between Jefferson and Carlisle Street
This Walter Washington Smith painting, "Yellow House on West Franklin Street", is done from near the intersection of South Jefferson Street and West Franklin looking east (toward the right). The yellow house is 53 West Franklin. The red house to the right of the yellow house was the Rankin family home of Warren, Sadie (who worked for Henry Fletcher) and Bessie. John Conrad III currently owns the red house. The yellow and red house can both be seen in the background of "Snowing" which hangs over the large parlor's mantel. The second house from the top is 37 West Franklin Street and was the home of John and Marie Conrad. The house closest to the top is 35 West Franklin Street. |
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The canvas of this painting had warped and the paint film was cracked and lifting off the canvas as seen in photograph taken under tangent light. |
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There were small areas of missing paint and a number of fly specks on the paint film. The painting was covered with a layer of discolored varnish and surface dirt. |
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Treatment The painting was faced with tissue paper to prevent paint loss before being lined on a new piece of Belgium linen using a wax-resin adhesive composed of 8 parts bees wax, 8 parts microcrystalline wax, 4 parts damar resin, and 1 part gum elemi. Lining was done on the vacuum-hot table using an external pressure of 4 pounds psi and a temperature of 140 degrees. A piece of .010 inch mylar was attached to the back of the lining for added support and safety.
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The painting was cleaned using a mild solvent. |
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Fly specks were removed with a sharp knife. Voids were filled with a compound of microcrystalline wax and gypsum. After cleaning, the painting was returned to its stretchers and given a light isolation coat of B-72 varnish. Inpainting was executed with dry pigments ground in the acrylic ester resin B-72. When the surface of the painting was completely dry, it was given several protective coats of B-72 varnish followed by a light coat of Soluvar Matte Varnish. Stretchers were tightened and held in place with nylon line. A piece of mylar was placed over the back of the stretchers and the tacking edges taped for added safety and protection. |
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