This week Penny Taylor, our Museum Administration Assistant, describes the digital restoration of a little know painting from the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum’s Collection.
The long-awaited digital restoration of a very important local painting has finally been completed thanks to some state-of-the-art photography. The painting in question, simply titled ‘A Prospect View of Lichfield from the West’, was finished by an unknown artist in 1680, and depicts many of Lichfield’s famous landmarks, including the distinctive Cathedral and St Mary’s Church. The mysterious painting, which belongs to the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum’s collection of over 8000 objects, has always been an important window into the city’s history, as it provides a detailed insight into its appearance during the period. Buildings that have since been badly damaged or destroyed, such as the medieval Bishops palace walls for example, are detailed within the work.
Since being presented to the city by the then Mayor Thomas Aide in 1856, the condition of the painting has slowly declined, leaving many of its fascinating details too dark to distinguish. Having previously photographed paintings at other local historic buildings, councillor Robert Yardley proposed the digital restoration of the work, hoping that this would reveal missing details that were no longer visible.
With the help of Shenstone based ‘All Aspects Art and Print’ and Museums and Heritage Officer Joanne Wilson, the painting was removed from its frame to allow Yardley to properly photograph it. This revealed that the painting had previously been varnished rather too enthusiastically, which had created lots of cracks and left some areas almost crumbling away. Once out of its frame, the painting was positioned next to two photographic studio lights which skimmed across the surface at a shallow angle. These lights were then moved across the front of the painting to reveal the best possible angle for the photograph. The picture was shot using RAW photography, which means that the data collected from the camera sensor is processed on the computer to produce the best possible image.
Once processed, the RAW image of the painting revealed areas that had once been darkened by shadows, including the Westgate of Cathedral Close, which was not at all visible in the paintings original state, as well as many other smaller buildings. In addition, figures can also be made out in the centre-foreground which provide an interesting insight into 17th century fashions in Lichfield. The results of the photograph exceeded all expectations, and Lichfield City Council plans to display an image of the digitally restored version of the painting alongside the original for all to see. The photograph demonstrates how inexpensive solutions can sometimes be used to realise a forgotten treasure’s full potential.
