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The Collation

Conserving the Cosway Portrait of Shakespeare

Editor’s note: Folger conservators are internationally known for their expertise in book and paper conservation. When it comes to conserving paintings, though, we turn to outside experts like Dawn Rogala of Page Conservation, Inc. Here, Dawn explains how she treated the Cosway Portrait of Shakespeare. 1 All photos in this post have been provided by Page Conservation. 

Using a binocular microscope to monitor progress removing one of the Cosway Portrait's varnish layers

Using a binocular microscope to monitor progress removing one of the Cosway Portrait’s varnish layers

In April 2013, an eighteenth-century portrait of William Shakespeare believed to be from the collection of Royal Academician Richard Cosway (1742–1821) made its way from the Folger Shakespeare Library to the Page Conservation studios for conservation treatment.

Back view of the unframed panel

Back view of the unframed panel

The wooden panel support is approximately 1/8″ thick, beveled on the reverse to 1/32″ thick at the edges. The wood is in good condition and there is no evidence of insect activity. Viewed from the front, the panel has a slight convex curve, and its fine diagonal grain runs from the top left to the bottom right of the composition.

A preparatory layer of white gesso (a smooth chalk-based coating) lies beneath the portrait and extends to the edges of the panel. The portrait is executed in oils, thinly applied with overlapping fine brush strokes and minimal impasto (paint applied thickly enough to stand up in relief). Close examination of the painting revealed surface abrasions in the background paint, most likely from previous restoration cleaning. Cleaning tests indicated that there was an upper layer of synthetic varnish over a yellowed natural resin varnish. Although some retouching was visible over areas of background abrasion, heavy layers of discolored varnish made it initially difficult to determine the extent of the earlier retouching. 

  1. Mr. and Mrs. Folger purchased the Cosway Portrait at the Augustin Daly sale of 19 March 1900, making it the first Shakespeare portrait they ever acquired. For more on Augustin Daly, see The Collation, 8 March 2013.

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