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
Portrait of a Boy with Blue Eyes is an undated painting with an equally uncertain story. Believed to be from the first half of the twentieth century, it is the work of an artist known only as ‘Mahony’. It has been speculated that it could be the work of painter Martin F. Mahony but further research is required.

CAG.0534 Mahony, Portrait of a Boy with Blue Eyes, undated, oil on canvas, 35 x 30 cm.

Before Conservation

What is known about this seldom exhibited portrait, however, is that by 2018 it was in need of a good deal of care to ensure its future stability and potential for display.

The painting was in poor condition due to damages to the left tacking margin, slack tension and deformation of the canvas. In addition, severe cracking and flaking of paint, raised paint flakes, surface dirt, discolouration of the varnish, old losses, and over-paints affected the whole surface of the painting.

Following condition checking, flaking paint and raised paint flakes were stabilized by applying animal glue (a collagen-based binder) and flattened with gentle pressure from a mini hot spatula.

Treatment
After testing different solutions and solvents, the appropriate methods were chosen to carry out surface cleaning. This was followed by a slow and controlled removal of old over-painting and yellowed varnish.

The torn left margin of the painting was then fixed to the stretcher. New wooden keys were inserted at the corners of the stretcher to achieve a better tension of the canvas and to improve the planarity of the painting.

Losses were in-filled with gesso, which was then paired down and textured by scalpel to mimic the surrounding brushstrokes. The conservator subsequently retouched the areas of gesso with watercolours.

Finishing Touches
To conclude the process, the surface of the painting was varnished and reframed. The result is that the painting is currently stable and in good condition.

Display

Since its conservation, Portrait of a Boy with Blue Eyes has been displayed in BEHIND THE SCENES: Collection at Work (26 November 2022 – 10 April 2023) in which this conservation work was highlighted.

Photo: Jed Niezgoda

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

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