I really enjoyed watching the transformation of this painting as it really was bonfire-worthy before you got it. You have incredible skill and patience and I was very interested when you got to the retouching part. It would be so tempting to overpaint the whole thing instead of respecting what remains of the original after its abuse and just touch up dot by dot. I have to admit when you took your first swab with solvent on the painting for the first clean, I was holding my breath and almost expecting an “oh shit” moment but you didn’t ruin it. 😊. Well done.
At 26:46 "...was eventually persuaded by her son to leave it and have it properly cleaned at some time in the future". Wow, this is actually referring to you. You are are the person who properly cleaned it some time in the (very distant) future. What an amazing thing to be linked to the past in this way. Great series, I really enjoyed it 😊
Thank you and yes I suppose your right! it took a while though, I'm happy that we have found the original portrait and it was pretty much intact although a little worse for wear! retouching this week and then he'll be good fr another 200 years!
I think the signature is J R Smith (John Raphael Smith). He did work in oils and the time period would fit. He died in 1812, so his being ill would fit as well.
I sort of think this too , his style is similar and he fits the dates, the only thing is he seems to be more of a pastellist rather than using oils. However his dates fit the family story and he was working an awful lot in society..
Thank you for another long episode, I hope there will be more of them in the future. know that editing them takes up a lot of your private time, but I think that I'm not the only one who finds long episodes more enjoyable I wish you have a nice day.
Your retouching is appropriately delicate and so well done. I also really enjoy hearing more of the painting's story along with your research and speculation about its painter. The serial nature of your videos gives us a more realistic idea of what it's like actually doing a painting restoration, and at a more realistic pace than most of the other RU-vid restoration videos. Great work - and I'm anticipating the next part!
Try converting your photograph of the signature to the Lab color space (instead of RGB). Lab is based on eye cone biology, so you might be able to discern more by emphasizing L, a, or b. Yuv is another biological color space that might help. Photoshop supports both if I recall correctly.
This is turning out so good. When I first saw it I thought it was just a mediocre sort of ugly portrait. But now his facial features are gorgeous and so interesting. You're very talented. I don't usually comment but I was just thinking today I really enjoy your videos. I appreciate the effort you put into them to share this beautiful art with us. You're very skilled and I love just watching you work. Also helps that you have a very nice voice and you're pretty attractive. All adds up to be an enjoyable part of my week seeing your video. So thank you
Brilliant! Those "eye dots" were bothersome, so I'm eager to see the finished work on them. He's looking mighty handsome now--and even though his story is sad, I am grateful to learn more about him. Kudos!
The change from the beginning to now is amazing. Thank you for sharing the entire process through all of the videos. Some other paintings I have watched are shortened down. And made to a small video. Having this much care into the project but also allowing us to witness every part is something spectacular.
For the signature - make a RAW image of the area and bring that into Photoshop - for maximum dynamic range. Then work with Levels and the usual filters etc. Also try making an HDR image. And using directional lighting (left, right, top, bottom) and working or combining these images. An infinite amount of messing around is possible...😀
Outstanding work. You could do with the assistance of one of the museums with their battery of scanners and non-visible light cameras to assist with the signature conundrum.
My goodness, The Regency Gent has turned into a handsome man! That five o'clock shadow is quite sexy. Thank you for showing your work in so much detail. It's been very enjoyable
I so enjoy your channel. This is the most remarkable transformation of an overpainted portrait I've seen! Your warm welcome into your world is like visiting a good friend. You let us follow your research, thoughts and even asking if we might have any thoughts. Today's updated history expands the journey even more. Thank You for bringing us along your journey through restoration and history.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your comment. I'm enjoying looking into the history more and more and sharing what I find! it is certainly a journey!!
You must have the patience of Job! I'd go crazy trying to retouch and restore paintings even though I really enjoy watching you work. I learn something new every time I watch one of your videos. Thank you so much for sharing.😊
William Beechey has a really distinctive flourish in his signature where the B extends under the W much like what’s happening here. Also painted Nelson and the Prince Regent.
I know it doesn't fit the legend of the family, but the style reminds me a little of the painter Joseph Willibrord Mähler, who painted some pretty famous pictures, for example of Beethoven. I don't know if he was ever in England and for what reason he might have painted this gentleman. At the time of the painting, he was not an old man either, but the style, if you look at the painting of Salieri, for example, looks quite similar to me. For example, the eyes, the shadow of the beard, or even the buttons. But maybe it's just because this kind of portraits were probably painted similarly everywhere in Europe, the fashion for example was the same everywhere. It's really difficult to say.
Fascinating to watch you bring the Gentleman back to life, but as I look at the right side of the jaw and down onto the neck there seems to be a heavy, unnatural shape, almost as if there is still over-painting or possibly too heavy a shadow with a heavy outline, is this something you have noticed?
Yes in that area he has somewhat of a double chin forming and I think some of the shadow does look heavy, I will be able to tell better once I start retouching that area and taking a closer look
I know , Id like to think that a lot of this is true and if not 100% pretty close. I think the basis of the condition would lend itself to how its certainly been cared for...
Thanks for telling the history of the painting. Have you contacted the National Portrait Gallery. Hoppner sounds logical. It looks like the signature is J Sant, but the J Sant who was a portrait painter was born in 1820. You are doing a great job!
Thank you , I think my client had contacted them and may be taking it to them once complete, and yes J.Sant may well be out of the running as the dates are too late...
My suggestion is Henry Bone or William Beechey. Thinking that the first letter is an H??? Portraitists of the period. What do you think? Both painted the Prince Regent.
Your work is masterful and a pleasure to watch. Are you sure you are not related to this man yourself? There are similarities albeit you are slimmer and more handsome.😉😊
John Hoppner seems a pretty good fit. Some of his sky backgrounds are just like this one. Cheery blue patches along with moody grey patches in what looks like the same colours. His portraits of the Sackville children, Elizabeth Sophia Baillie, and Princess Mary look to have very similar skies to me. I think J Hoppner is consistent with the remains of the signature as well. Many of Hoppner’s portraits of gentlemen seem very like Mr Lloyd too. Especially Capt. Henry Blackwood, Sir Thomas Strange, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and Major General Sir Henry Willoughby Rooke.
His backgrounds certainly fit and do have that moody, stprmy look to them with a splash of blue. I just wonder if he is a little too early awhen I look at the paintings they do have a lot of wig action and perhaps this painting is slightly later ...there is one of William Ord (1781-1855) on Art UK that has the same dress though...
The work you have done great. I do have a question, is the background something like a stormy sky or does it just not show well on RU-vid? If it’s stormy it really adds to the image of the gent.
I'm just googling around and have found one image of a signature the J is similar ....but nothing else so far...I wish all artist would sign their work at least twice!!
I knew I'd got it wrong sometimes when I'm narrating I can hear my brain working and things seem to slow down mid word! Thanks for your comment though I imagined it spoken in a Mary Poppins style voice!
Please don't be offended, but, there's not enough retouching shown. You must spend hours retouching, so, just set up the camera and let us watch. You don't even need to do a running commentary.
