AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

Treatment of an early 19th-century painted embroidery attributed to Mary Roberts and the Folwell School of Philadelphia provided an excellent opportunity for collaboration between the textiles and paintings graduate fellows at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Rinaldo and Armida, the painted embroidery at the center of this study, is one representative of many which exist in private and institutional collections.   Production of a painted embroidery was itself a collaborative effort, with input from an embroidery instructor, a designer, an embroidery student, and a painter.  It is both a textile and a painting; with embroidered and painted components on a silk support, stretched over a wooden strainer, then framed for display.  Created in the setting of a girls’ school, painted embroideries have often been deemed domestic craft and ‘women’s work.’ Painted embroideries are often held in textiles collections and little research has been carried out on the painted components.   

Major condition issues existed in both embroidered and painted portions; thus, the primary goal was treatment of the painted embroidery to return it to a state in which it could be safely exhibited.  As treatment was planned, gaps in the literature led to an expansion of goals to include identifying the materials and methods of construction and learning more relating to the individuals involved in creating the work. Close examination, technical imaging, comparative study, historical research, and scientific analysis provided deeper insight into the components of the work and supplied contextual information when it came to treatment.  Analysis suggests the work was likely completely repainted at a later date, a revelation which factored into treatment decisions and in the overall understanding of the work itself.

At each step of treatment, both textiles and paintings conservation methods were discussed, tested, and implemented, resulting in a cross-disciplinary treatment which was carried out collaboratively.  Structural intervention was necessary to stabilize the deteriorated and rapidly failing silk support.  Large tears in painted areas were repaired using reinforcements of Beva 371 and non-woven spunbonded polyester.  The work was removed from its strainer to be lined with nylon bobbinet and reactivated acrylic adhesive.  It was then edge-lined to support the fragile tacking margins and sewn to a padded board whose dimensions are equivalent to the original strainer.  Aesthetic compensation was also carried out to reintegrate areas of loss and damage into the surrounding composition.  

Blending paintings and textiles conservation methodologies through a year of planning, research, and treatment led to a successful outcome.  In addition to mentorship and collaboration from both the paintings and textiles conservation labs, the authors were supported by a broad network of colleagues throughout the museum and beyond, including paper conservators, furniture conservators, conservation framers, analytical scientists, imaging specialists, collections managers, and curators. This project highlights the benefits gained in treatment and research as a result of diverse contributions from different specialties and allied fields.