Restoring a painting is like mening clothes or dismantling a car that you then want to rebuild without changing the structure and base. Naturally, this involves studying the work and painting techniques. You can assess a painting with a black light and a magnifying glass. You can see, for example, whether restorations have been done before and whether there are parts of the painting where there is no paint left. In a scanner you can also see which parts have already been painted over. Analysis of the paint used can then tell you how long it took to make a plan on how to restore the painting. This is a great quest because an artist also has to make his own considerations during the creation process. It is rare that a work of art is set up in one go and is good. And then there are also ethics involved. In what condition are you restoring? Do you want to restore it to its original state? Reapply the varnish layer? How shiny was it ever delivered? And then about discolorations over time. The paint used but also the color shades all age differently. How far will you go? A painting can become contaminated by time and by the space where it hangs, for example. Smoke can penetrate the painting, making it duller and even yellowing. Sunlight also (of course) causes the colors on the canvas to fade. Damage to the paint and even the canvas can of course occur due to clumsiness or the wrong underlay. If it has been too greasy or the gesso has not been applied properly, the paint will eventually no longer adhere and will crumble. The wrong composition of the paint can also cause the paint to peel off. Every restoration starts with an analysis of the problem. The cloth is often re-keyed first and therefore stretched. The varnish layer is then removed. Removing the varnish is done carefully with turpentine/alcohol or turpentine first until the old varnish layer comes off. If that is not possible, purer solvents such as turpentine are used. If you don't have patience, don't try this. In the past, stronger solvents were also used. A restorer often starts in a corner to see which solvents work and what the result is. Yet the way back is of course very difficult once you have removed part of the varnish.

Every restoration starts with an analysis of the problem. The cloth is often re-keyed first and therefore stretched. The varnish layer is then removed. Removing the varnish is done carefully with turpentine/alcohol or turpentine first until the old varnish layer comes off. If that is not possible, purer solvents such as turpentine are used. If you don't have patience, don't try this. In the past, stronger solvents were also used. A restorer often starts in a corner to see which solvents work and what the result is. Yet the way back is of course very difficult once you have removed part of the varnish.

Once the painting is 'open' again, the next phase of restoration can be done by reattaching the paint. You can fix the so-called crackle with glue or wax; drop by drop. A conservator can then color and supplement parts of the painting. Naturally, the restorer must then try to use the same paint, brush, touch and technique as the artist who created the work. So know which restorer you choose because one is better in a certain period than the other. Above all, give him time and rest.

Once the work has been restored to its glory, a new layer of varnish can finally be applied. Varnish can be matte, silk or high gloss and is applied horizontally to prevent dripping. Varnish bonds the paint and enhances colors even further. If you just quickly apply a layer of varnish without cleaning first, cleaning afterwards becomes much more complicated. When the varnish has dried, the canvas can be placed back in its frame or frame and put on display again. By restoring a canvas, colors become vibrant again, depth becomes visible again and nuances and freshness are created.