Retouching
Filling & Retouching
When paint has been lost — to flaking, a tear, or an old, discolored restoration — filling and retouching restore the image so damage no longer interrupts it.
The work happens in two stages. Losses are first filled to the level of the surrounding paint, so the surface reads as continuous. The fills are then retouched — inpainted — to rejoin the image. The discipline lies in restraint: compensation is confined strictly to the areas of loss, never covering original paint, and is carried out in stable conservation materials that a future conservator can remove without affecting the original.
This is where conservation most visibly parts ways with amateur restoration. Overpaint that wanders beyond the loss, applied in materials that darken with age, obscures more than it repairs. Our retouching is documented — what was lost, what was filled, what was inpainted — so the painting’s history stays legible to anyone who cares for it after us.
Will retouching cover any of the original paint?
No. Retouching is confined to areas of loss. Where earlier restoration overlaps original paint, we typically recommend removing it and compensating correctly.
Can retouching be undone later?
Yes — reversibility is a requirement of professional practice. Our materials are chosen so a future conservator can remove them without harming the original.
Will the retouched areas be invisible?
From normal viewing distance, well-executed retouching reads as an uninterrupted image. Under ultraviolet light or magnification it remains detectable — by design. The goal is an honest repair that satisfies the eye, not a deception.
Paint losses or an old restoration that has darkened? Send photographs and we’ll advise on what compensation would involve.
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