Captain William Wade

A painting, in oil on canvas, of Captain William Wade, 1771, by Thomas Gainsborough.

Conservation treatment involved removal of a complex combination of old varnish and darkened retouchings, from the vulnerable and thin original paint surface, and in-painting of losses. The project also required important discussions with the client about the approach to resolving pentimenti revealed after the removal of the heavy and discoloured overpaint. The agreed solution was discreet retouching to conceal the pentimenti, as this was considered to be the more authentic representation of the final image as conceived by the artist.