Provident Art

Specialist fine arts and antiques

restoration services

Welcome

At Provident Art we are proud to offer comprehensive and professional artwork renovation and restoration services.

The antique world is enjoying a particularly high level of growth today and is set to boom in the next few years. Therefore valuable antiques & artworks require sympathetic and expert attention if they are to retain or increase their value and be an heirloom or worthy centerpiece of any collection.

The question of conservation or restoration is sensitive subject. Antiques are not only good investments but also fundamentally part of our heritage. Therefore, great care should be taken during the repair process not to compromise the integrity of these prized items.

'Beautiful objects, ideas, even beautiful people all share the power to lift the spirits and motivate creativity while at the same time soothing the soul.'

- Thomas Kinkade

About

Adriaan comes from a fine arts and art curator background.

He has gained over the past years extensive knowledge of the antiques and auction industries specialising in the fine arts.

Provident Art is based in Paarl in the beautiful Cape Winelands.

Adriaan specialises in the conservation and restoration of historical paintings right up to contemporary works of art and also the restoration of all other objets d'art including antique clocks (case & mechanism service and repairs), ceramics, metal and wooden objects.

Our Services

The accumulation of dirt, dust and grime can lead to oil paintings needing significant cleaning.
Tobacco and smoke residue can also contribute to a layer of dirt settling over the painting. Old varnish layers perish and turn yellow over time leading to discoloration of the paintwork surface. These old varnishes can be safely removed in the studio and replaced with conservation-grade non-yellowing varnish.
Depending on whether the painting needs a light, or more intensive professional solvent-based clean, the removal of surface dirt and contaminants can achieve remarkable results.

Cleaning

Tears, punctures and marks on oil paintings can instantly ruin the aesthetic appeal and value of the painting.
Structural damage to the canvas, whether it be a large tear through the middle of the painting, or a small hole, can be fully repaired with no residual traces left on the painting or the canvas.

To restore damage to a torn canvas the area is first assessed in the studio and, depending on the size of the damage, the most appropriate and least invasive method will be applied. The most common processes for repairing tears are re-lining or reversible repairs where the tear is carefully drawn back together using a stitching system. The ultimate aim of these treatments is to be fully invisible.

Tear repair

The process of re-lining is used to strengthen and support oil paintings on canvas, by attaching a new canvas on to the back of the existing one.
This is necessary in cases where the canvas has become loose and the paint has deteriorated through time, or has been damaged by a large tear.
Oil painting canvases can also be pressed and re-stretched, along with re-lining to remove bulges and other surface damage.

Re-lining

Much care is taken to only apply retouching paint to areas of the painting which are damaged or missing, which requires a high level of precision and dexterity. This is so viewers can see and appreciate as much as possible of the original artist’s work, without being distracted by the damage that exists in surrounding areas.

Restricting the application of retouching paint to just the areas of damage is time consuming (it would be much quicker to take a broad brush over a given area!), but it is important as it ensures that original, intact paint is not obscured.

Retouching (paint application)

Valuable 19th Century painting of the French revolution by Theodore Blake Wirgman
2m in length
Extensive paint loss, tears and cuts

19th Century portrait of young rand lord, mr Rimer (Continental)

Tear in canvas through forehead region.

18th Century Dutch portrait painting.
Oil on canvas.

Serious deterioration to the artwork required intensive canvas repairs and lining, gap fills and repainting.
Dark colours are notoriously difficult to repaint but I'm very happy with the final product.

de Jongh, Tinus (1885 – 1942)

I received the painting in really dilapidated condition.

The canvas was taken of the original frame and rolled up for storage. The result was that large areas of paint peeled off through out the years.

I first stabilized the canvas on board and then proceeded with the cleaning process of the painted surface.

Then I begun with the delicate process of re-applying the oil paint where needed true to the original colour use and technique.

Finally I applied a layer of artist's varnish to protect the painting and revitalize the colours.

Marjorie Wallace oil painting.
Painted during her stay in Paris in the early 1950's.
Title: 'Interior'

Damage: Extensive water damage. The canvas has wobbled and the adhesion of the paint to the canvas surface became compromised. Paint peeled of at various areas through-over the canvas.

Repair: Re-stretched the canvas tight on the original frame.
Removed the paint from damaged areas. Filled the areas to recreate the overall smooth finish.
Repainted the damaged areas in correct brush style and colour palette.
Varnishes the painting to create a soft egg-shell shine & bring out the colours.

Crucifixion scene.

Date: Unknown. Probably Italian

Oil on canvas with gold leaf.

Damage to top part of canvas (tears)

18th Century English painting

Oil on canvas

Damage: Paint loss, cracks to paint surface and holes/tears on canvas

18th Century French painting

Oil on canvas.

Damage: The canvas was torn right through the length. Paint loss.

Evette Wyers sculpture.

Legs broke of.

I've reinforced the legs with a steel peg to help prevent similar damage in the future.

The legs were then replaced, crack filled and the original surface texture and sculptural aspects copied. The damaged area was then painted within the correct colour scheme and finally varnished.