The Gilbert Spencer paintings at Holywell Manor, Balliol College, Oxford depict the Foundation legend of Balliol. They were painted between 1934 and 1936 when Spencer was a student at the college. The paintings cover all four walls of a room within the Manor. The style is quite free, with the paint often used rather translucently. The grid marks of the initial layout are quite visible beneath the paint layer, as is some of the original pencil under-drawing.

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

The layout grid and underdrawing visible through the painted surface

The paintings had been damaged by a water leak from a roof failure, resulting in water run marks down the painted surface on the east wall of the room. The leak had already been fixed and the wall was dry before this conservation treatment. This was a limited and targeted conservation treatment which focused on stabilising the affected area and reducing the visual impact of the damage.

The leak had created a series of run marks towards the centre of the painting, which ran from the top of the painting, at the junction with the ceiling, down to the dado rail. While the run marks had caused visible blanching of the painting there was no evidence of associated lifting or flaking of the paint layer.

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

The location of the damage

Tests were undertaken to find the best way to reduce the visual appearance of the damage. Initially, a selection of conservation-grade acrylic dispersions, diluted in a range of percentages in water, were tested to see if it was possible to reduce the blanching by reintroducing a compatible binder to the area and resaturating the damaged surface. This would have been the most minimal intervention approach, but unfortunately, reintroducing binding media alone was not enough to reverse the blanching caused by the damage.

Therefore a series of very thin washes of toned conservation grade acrylics were applied to gradually reduce the appearance of the drip marks and tone the damaged areas with the surrounding undamaged surfaces.

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

Bianca Madden | 20th Century Paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

Details before and after the conservation treatment

The damage is now toned out, and with the roof already repaired, and the building maintained, the painted surfaces are safe and stable.