Tuesday 28 July 2009

Now for something completely different.

In this building in Toxteth, Liverpool ,


there is a huge wallpainting, signed and dated 1903


It was in a pretty poor state just over two months ago...



when my husband was called in to look at it.



Slowly, steadily with tiny swabs of the correct chemicals,


he worked away at it.


Carefully cleaning, gradually, inch by inch,


day by day, he revealed the beauty



of the original work.

Isn't he clever? And so very patient.
I just thought you might be interested.

39 comments:

menopausalmusing said...

Jackie.... you are married to someone who does a job like that?????!!!!! Sigh...... my dream (and it is a DREAM) is to see the restored Giotto "Lamentation"...... thank goodness for people like your husband! x

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Oh he is a benevolent wizard!! I have always thought this type of restorative work would be so very satisfying. What a glorious result!

jeanette, mistress of longears said...

Such a fascinating field of work! Can't imagine having that kind of patience!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Wow! Who would have known such glory existed under all that. Your husband must be so excited as he sees the original unveiling under his ministrations. What a great job to have!!

Mary Welsh Hubbard said...

What a lucky (and talented) man to have a job that lets him work with such amazing art with such fabulous results! Very lucky man.

Lynn said...

Oh Jackie! You must be so proud and rightly so. What a wonderful gift to your community.

I was chuckling reading your profile list and found myself saying me too me too! very cute!!

Vicki W said...

Amazing!

connie said...

Oh, my... He is a very lucky guy. I can only imagine what it must be like to do this for a job. Thank you for sharing this with us.

lisa_crofts said...

Wow what a great job he has and what a great job he did!

Chris Daly said...

Oh he is so very clever. What a beautiful treasure he has restored. What a lucky man to have such an important job.

Dolores said...

Bravo to your husband. It is stunning.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful restoration - it is hard to believe such a lovely thing was under all that fluff and muck! Clever chap.

jennyflowerblue said...

What great work. That picture is very lovely.

Daisie said...

ooooooh, a man with hidden talents, I'd never had guessed when I met him what magic hands he had!
Brilliant!!
xxx

Lorenza said...

How wonderful! Your husband is very talented indeed, and what a fantastic job to have, immersed in culture and art every day... I am in awe ;) You are such a talented and creative family!!!! lv L xxx

Sandie said...

Oh! wow! he has such a talent. I knew he must have been an excellent craftsman otherwise he wouldn't have been called on to restore the art work in the Midland Hotel Morecambe.
What a treasure and you found him, lucky you.
Sandie at Rag Rescue

Mich said...

Wow, what a great work !!! It's amazing how some people have so many talents like your husband. For me this is a real artist !!

Jude said...

Is his head swelling...well, it should be and you should be swelling..no..no not swelling(sorry!)with pride!
What a wonderful job, such patience.
Love it!

Heather said...

This is such a marvellous post Jackie and if you hadn't told us of your husband's painstaking efforts we would be totally unaware of them. He must be so pleased with the result of all that hard work - I hope his skill is well rewarded. The cleaned painting is a joy to see now it's curtain of grime has been lifted.

Whitney-Anne Baker said...

how cool!! and how satisfying to see something like this come to light.

lyle baxter said...

what a gift he has! and what an interesting picture he uncovered! I enjoy your blog and admire your work its fun to see whats next lyle

silverpebble said...

Wow - that looks like a PRB painting. Is it? Did you know I went to school in Toxteth? Which building is that?

WendyCarole said...

How wonderful

Mrs Jelly said...

Wow! I can't believe it got so dirty so quickly.

I love the fact that the women have men at their feet too!
(Although they do look a bit bored!)

Got any more before / during / after piccies?

hens teeth said...

Genius!

ACey said...

art reconstruction has always fascinated me. I like the comment description of your husband as a benevolent wizard.

Quilted Librarian said...

What an amazingly creative family you are! Is the mural artist known? It has a little of a Pre-Raphaelite look to it.

Linda B. said...

I'm a Liverpudlian but don't recognise the building from the photo)though that also looks as if it has been restored) Are you allowed to tell where it is?

maggik1 said...

Wow! That's really something! How wonderful to be able to make such an amazing difference. Now I know why he's such a patient man. I'm dying to go to the Midland!

Elizabeth said...

What amazing work!! Hemust be a very gentle and patient man!!!! What a gift to give fort he future viewers of this painting!! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!!
hugs!
Elizabeth

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Oh fascinating! I would love that job. Clicked all of the pics to enlarge - what a lovely painting now viewed in its full glory thanks to your husband Jackie. (Isn't the top border pretty). Lesley

Gigibird said...

Does this mean your husband can (in theory at least) clean the kitchen?

Gina said...

What wonderful work!

Kim said...

That is an amazing thing - is that place open to the public? My husband comes from Liverpool, I'd love to see it in the flesh, so to speak.
Kim xx

Julie said...

Wow! Such skill!

JP said...

love this work - just like the paintings in my all time fav film - ' Tea with Mussolini' - thanks for the info

Victoria said...

I had no idea you were married to such a gifted man.
Incredible. I imagine he not only possesses great patience but also great sensitivity. Bravo!

Digitalgran said...

Menopausal Musing took the words out of my mouth. Wonderful to have an artistic husband too! My DH is appreciative, but doesn't really understand. Wonderful to be able to bring back to life something painted so long ago and what a beauty it is.

Raggy Rat said...

thats love, not patience
well i ithnk so anyway

ok - be patient - waiting for your blog nomitation to be appoved

then i will let you know

cat xxx



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