This painting was conserved in 2018 by Giulia Campagnari at the National Gallery of Ireland’s conservation studio through a shared NGI-CAG-IMMA Conservation Internship.

Significance
News from America (1875) by James Brenan represents the impact of the Government National Schools system on a new generation of Irish children. It depicts a barefoot young girl reading a letter to a, perhaps illiterate, group of adults within a humble Irish cottage interior. The adults, one of whom wears a traditional Kinsale cloak, are attentive to the words she reads which, as the title suggests, brings news from those who have emigrated to the United States. The painting acts as a reminder of the experience of migration, often permanent, by those who remain at home.

In 1974, this and another work by Brenan were singled out for comment in a review of the Shannon Appeal Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings of Old Cork:

Although both works especially "The Emigrant's Letter" [News from America] have suffered badly from past treatment and have been patched and restored, they display a natural and sympathetic freshness.

Cork Examiner, 1 May 1974

The painting was exhibited in the State Apartments of Dublin Castle as part of The Crawford at the Castle (8 October 2016 – 12 February 2017).

CAG.2657 Photograph of James Brenan, Headmaster of Cork School of Art, 29 June 1889.

James Brenan (1837-1907)* was a painter and educationalist who had studied at the schools of both the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) and Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). After some years working in London, Birmingham, and Liverpool. He moved back to Ireland in 1860 to become headmaster of the Cork School of Art at what would become a transformative time in its history.

Ultimately overseeing its expansion into the Crawford Municipal School of Art, he was instrumental in the introduction of design and lace-making classes, at the beginning of the Arts & Crafts Movement.

In 1878, Brenan became a full member of the RHA where he exhibited his work regularly. Subsequently on the committee of the Cork Industrial and Fine Art Exhibition (1883), he was appointed headmaster of the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art (now National College of Art Design) in 1889.

*James Brenan should not be confused with his similarly named contemporary, James Butler Brenan (1825-1889), who was also a painter.

Assessment
Over its history, the painting had suffered numerous tears and punctures, which had been repaired in previous interventions. After assessment, it was noted that at the tears the canvas appeared distorted and flaking of paint was present at the margins.

Uneven varnish, matt retouchings, and surface dirt also affected its overall appearance, a section of the margin of canvas was ripped, and the stretcher was cracked at one corner.

Treatment
Once the decision was taken to conserve this work, flaking paint was consolidated with gelatine. Surface cleaning was then carried out, and existing watercolour over-paints and discoloured retouchings were removed with aqueous solution.

Localized distortions at the old repairs were also addressed through application of minimal moisture. Cracks and losses were filled-in with acrylic gesso (base paint) and then in-painting was carried out on this with watercolours. Matt areas of paint visible before treatment have finally been varnished to achieve an overall even appearance.

The ripped canvas was repaired with a film of thermoplastic adhesive and the use of a hot spatula.

Stretcher and Frame
The stretcher corner was repaired by application of conservation adhesive, and new keys were made to allow the canvas to achieve adequate tension.

Finally, flaking gilding on the frame was consolidated and losses were retouched with watercolours so that News from America is in its best shape in many years.

CAG.0320 James Brenan, News from America, 1875, oil on canvas, 81.5 x 91 cm. Presented, the Artist

Text adapted from Conservation Report (2018) by Giulia Campagnari.

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