A serene painting by the California Impressionist master painter Guy Rose of French Haystacks done about 1910 walked into my lab today for an examination. The painting was in a private collection that, a couple of months ago, has passed to heirs… who admit they don’t know anything about art and are not collectors. Their parents had bought the painting in about 1935. As part of their due diligence in settling the estate they called me to give the painting a thorough look over. I pulled it out of its frame for the first time since its been framed (presumably in the 1930s) to make sure that a signature wasn’t hid by the rabbet… but no signature.

The painting has a bit of grime but is otherwise in very good original condition. UV inspection showed no previous restorations. This technique for inspecting a painting is required due diligence art analysis that anyone can learn to do. It is a basic investigative examination performed in art conservation laboratories. For more about utilizing a UV black light click on this link.

For the sake of not leaving any stone unturned, we decided to look at it with the infrared reflectometer. For more on this technique click on this link. I believe that this is the only infrared reflectometer available to the public (not in institutional labs) this side of Chicago? We were surprised and pleased to find that there WAS a signature in the lower right corner! Evidently, Rose had painted the picture and signed it… then later reworked the painting canceling out the signature. I’ve seen it happen many times. The last painting in my lab that had this situation was an Edgar Payne. Its hard to see but here are the two photos of the IR screen.

The photo on the right has the signature reinforced so you can see it. The “G” and the top of the “R” are missing because of the thickness of the paint. The “s” is also not very well defined but, of course, you can see that it says “Guy Rose.” Sometimes a signature shows up very clearly under IR, but usually the style of the signature is often distorted with IR viewing.

The painting you see with your natural eyes is unsigned but on the back is a label written by Orrin White outlining a bio of Guy Rose and there is the estate stamp with Earl Stendahl and the written authentication by Ethel that this painting was by her husband. Because of the extensive documentation on the back of the painting, I don’t think there is any doubt that Guy Rose painted this picture so the revealed hidden signature may not add any value but it certainly adds a detail of interest and of confirmation of the art authentication.
So, that’s about it.

Reporting to you from Fine Art Conservation Laboratories (FACL)… its all in a day’s work

Scott M. Haskins

805 564 3438

By Kelly Rose Almeida, Guest Blogger

From Leonardo Da Vinci to your own paintings, this instrument is used to search for hidden treasures within art across the globe.

Every art history class that learns about the beauty of the Renaissance has heard of “The Lost Leonard.”  The story begins like so.  In 1504 Leonardo da Vinci was given the commission by Piero Soderinito to honor the Hall of Five Hundred of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy.  His adversary, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, who had just finished his masterpiece David, was designated the opposite wall. Michelangelo chose to depict The Battle of Cascin and had finished a preparatory cartoon but other complications kept him from attempting his fresco. Leonardo chose to portray The Battle of Anghiari. Leonardo not only finished the planning drawings but also began painting his mural. Sadly, he never completed this vision.  Decades later, the chamber was reconstructed, and it was believed that this unfinished mural was lost to the ages.

There are many tragedies in art history; stories of art lost in wars, burned in protest, or destroyed by dictators.  It is rare that these stories have a happy ending. But this anecdote may not be over. In recent years, Maurizio Seracini, an Italian expert in high-technology art analysis, believes that behind one of the murals painted by the architect and artist Giorgio Vasari, lies Leonardo’s Anghiari fresco.  This conclusion was formed because in the upper part of Vasari’s fresco, a Florentine The Battle of Angiari.

Right: The “Battle of Marciano in Val di Chiana” (1563) by Vasari. Left: A copy by Peter Paul Rueben of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “ The Battle of Anghiari”, which may be hidden beneath Vasari’s mural that now adorns the Hall of Five Hundred in Italy.

It is almost impossible to see whether or not Leonardo’s famous mural exists beneath Vasari’s fresco, almost being the operative word. Equipped with an infrared reflectometer, Maurizio Seracini and his team can use infrared light to penetrate the thinner layers of paint to reveal whether or not he has discovered the “Lost Leonardo” without damaging the existing fresco, which could help change the course of Western art.

Although this tale takes place thousands of miles away, this technology is available to us here in California. Fine Art Conservation Laboratories in Santa Barbara has an IR reflectometer that can help find similar treasures hidden beneath paintings that are brought into the lab. FACL may be the only private lab that has this instrument on the western seaboard. Using an IR reflectometer, head conservator Scott Haskins is able to find hidden or fraudulent signatures, drawings/sketches beneath layers of paint created by the artist, obscured restorations, and inscriptions underneath linings. These details are essential for art collectors that could alter the history, authenticity, and value of your paintings.

A short 2 minute video that was just posted on Youtube was also picked up by CNBC who is planning to feature Mr. Haskins in a episode of treasure hunter collectors who are searching for hidden details and clues in their artwork. See the video by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWNshrFvl98 (Be sure to give it a THUMBS UP and leave a comment!) It features a painting sold by Christies Auction House in 1899 as attributed to Sir Joshua Reynolds. Here’s the photo below.

An IR reflectometer is a remarkable tool that has many capabilities. Its use is worldwide, and its impact is astonishing. With this technology, art conservators, art historians, and art collectors are able to uncover the mysteries and histories of their beloved works of art.

If you have questions about an art item of yours, feel free to call and discuss it with Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438 or faclartdoc@gmail.com

For more information about art appraisals contact Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121

Follow Mr. Haskins on Facebook at “Tips for Art Collectors”  “Fine Art Conservation” and “Scott M. Haskins”

By Chelsea Padgett, Guest Blogger

Last week a beautiful painting of a lady came into the lab. The back of the painting had fragments of an old ripped apart label. Labels are apart of the painting’s history and can increase the value by providing an interesting insight to the past. This particular label told the story of an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in the 1930’s. However, not every story is as obvious.

Below is a label that was brought to us with what looked like just an old hopelessly blank piece of paper. No writing on it… or was there? With infrared technology you can sometimes read old obscured writing… and we at Fine Art Conservation Laboratories happen to have two types of infrared reflectometers. Under the lights and with the aid of the infrared we were able to see that it was an exhibition label from the World’s Fair of 1861. It clearly read, “Richmond, Yorkshire England, James Peale, 1858″

Amazing what technology can see that the eye can not! This old label had given up its secret information that has meant everything to the history and value of this wonderful painting. Because of this label, the value went up considerably. And therein lies the lesson to be learned, especially on old paintings: Protect old labels and the historical information they contain.

Here’s an example of what we do to protect old labels: Deacidify the paper and protect them with Mylar. Protect important info from the past! It can increase the value of the artwork. Flaking of labels when moving the painting can happen when you do not even realize it. Preventing the loss of valuable information can be simple and easily avoided.

Here are some tips to help save your significant piece of history! 1. De-acidify the paper to neutralize the acids, this will stop any further deterioration. 2. Encapsulate all pieces (even ones you think do not have any information on them!) This step can be done with something as simple as a sandwich bag (it is a stable archival plastic). 3. Staple the bag to a part of the stretcher bar (as shown above). Remember to NEVER staple, tape or glue directly any part of the label or historic info written on the artwork.

NOTICE on the back of the painting and frame new mounting hardware (nails are never hammered into a painting) new wire (coated with plastic to retard rust) and Foamcor to keep out dust and provide protection against poor handing and storage.

These are just a few tips to help save historical information or even your personal memorabilia! There are many other tips and info available in the book, How To Save Your Stuff that you can find at http://www.saveyourstuffblog.com/products-supplies. Download a copy of the e-book now at 50% discount!

Art conservation questions? Call Scott M. Haskins, Art Conservator at 805 564 3438

Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate, Art Appraiser, at 805 895 5121

Follow us on Facebook at Tips for Art Collectors or Save Your Stuff See more great articles and stories at http://tipsforartcollectors.org

Keywords: Old labels on paintings, authentication of artwork, provenance of paintings, Fine Art Conservation Laboratories