Keeping Up Appearances Exhibition - An Exhibition at Guernsey Museum in 2005

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES 1 \| 2 \| 3 *An exhibition of recently conserved artworks and historic costume* Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery, 5th November - 31st December 2005

GMAG 4275 - Before conservation		GMAG 4275 - After conservation
This portrait of a female member of the Rougier family, of Les Eperons, Guernsey, is one of several related pictures which have recently been conserved. The group of family portraits was given to the States' Lukis & Island Museum in 1947, staying there (in St Barnabas Church) until it closed in the early 1970s and the collections were moved to the current museum premises. The original condition of the works is not recorded but when examined in 2004 the pictures (which had not been displayed for many years) had clearly never been varnished and the surfaces had become dirty and discoloured. There were also slight areas of paint loss and other physical damage. Attending to these problems and applying a varnish layer, the conservator has effected a remarkable transformation as shown by the images above.
About the exhibition Despite the whimsical title, this is a serious exhibition showing off works belonging to the States of Guernsey (not all from the museum's own collection) which have recently undergone conservation and/or restoration. The differences between these terms will be explained and illustrated, together with recommendations for picture owners about simple preventative conservation measures they can employ to keep their own artworks in good condition. The exhibition particularly features a number of Victorian or early 20th century portraits of unknown sitters. Any assistance from visitors who might be able to identify the subjects will be gratefully received. In addition to the artworks, the exhibition will also include the sumptuous cape or mantle bearing the Order of the Bath insignia and an Elizabethan-style costume, worn by Admiral Lord James de Saumarez to the coronation of George IV in 1823. These unique costume items have recently been acquired by the museum and have also just been conserved.