MOBIUS: art conservation inc.

Conservation & Restoration of Oil Paintings

Polychrome Objects

Conservation & Restoration

Art Research & Liaison

~ Established 1988 ~

...restoring the world one

painting at a time

We are available 7 days a week

by Appointment Only

COVID - Clients may bring artworks for an Evaluation,

Treatment Proposal, and Estimate. We provide a safe outdoor Covid free experience in sunny Santa Cruz. Vaccinated

individuals are welcome inside the studio/lab.

Painted by one of the most famous illustrators in America in the 19th century, this important painting was treated for minor cosmetic problems and frame damage for a private collector. The painting depicts Cadmus who was the founder and first king of Thebes in Greek mythology. He is sowing dragon teeth which sprang up to create a race of fierce warriors known as the Spartoi. The painting had been previously restored and was adhered to a wooden support with minor abrasions, losses, and slight damage to the varnish. Parrish was famous for applying multiple glazing layers to create a sense of golden light emanating from within so it is extremely important not to compromise these multiple layers during any conservation treatment.

January 27, 2020 was a day to address The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in California at the Pine Inn in Carmel, CA, about caring for paintings and frames in their many collections. The group of 15,000 members is associated with 70 historical structures across the nation and is responsible for the care and preservation of the buildings, grounds, and contents.

"La Faneuse"

William Bouguereau, 1870

Oil on Canvas

After

Before

Ferdinand Burgdorff (1881 - 1975) was a noted Monterey artist. Sometimes we are called upon to correct previous inexpert restorations from the past.

Schedule an Evaluation that fits your schedule in beautiful Santa Cruz

Call for a Free Phone Consultation.  We answer the phone and return calls almost immediately.

Email us a photo from your cell phone to expedite the process. Sadly, you cannot send a photo or text to our land line.

House Calls at affordable rates, can be scheduled to evaluate your art collection or we can engage and art transport service or advise you on proper shipping to our facility.

Security  We protect out clients' possessions at the studio/lab with a 24 hour security system and video monitoring. Our facility is temperature and humidity controlled.

Surface dirt, a discolored varnish, tears and holes are the most typical problems. Here one can see small "windows" where we tested different cleaning strategies to reveal the artist's original paint layer. Note the brilliant whites and saturated reds.

11 inch L shaped tear is visible in the vest with masking tape applied on the verso as a temporary re-pair. This will be filled, textured, and retouched to match the existing colors.

After "lining" the damaged painting to a new 100% Belgian linen canvas, the cleaned and repaired artwork is varnished and ready for framing in a period piece frame.

Old frames become brittle when conditions are dry or very humid. When ornamentation is lost or broken, we must replace them. The above frame was also painted gold which oxidized and turned an unsightly brown.

Often, frames are painted by an owner or eBay seller to make them appear cleaner. This is never a good idea. After stripping down to its bare bones, the above frame was gilded, shellacked and a patina was applied to create the look and feel of antiquity.

Gravity, insect infestation, water and fire damage, and damage in transport

This plaster of Paris stature was given as a wedding gift in 1910 and brought to us in 72 pieces by the 84 year old daughter of the owner.

We often treat artworks with significant cultural, historical and monetary value for museums, institutions and collectors. We also work on artworks with mostly sentimental value which are priceless and irreplaceable to our many private clients.

Sesnon Art Gallery

Library Special Collections

History of Art & Visual Culture Department

We serve a large area of central California from Paso Robles to San Francisco and east to Livermore including Los Gatos-Saratoga and the greater San Jose area including Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Mountain View. Many of our clients come from Los Altos and Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Woodside and Atherton. To the south, we serve Monterey, Salinas, Watsonville, Carmel and Carmel Valley. Many clients come from Oakland and Berkeley and Pleasanton.