Public Invited As Timken Museum Puts Final Touches on Restoration of 18th-Century Painting

Sneak a peek at how a masterpiece is restored twice a week in April at the Timken Museum of Art in Balboa Park.

For the past five months, the museum’s 18th-century painting, Lovers in a Park, by Rococo artist François Boucher, has been undergoing a transformation by a team of expert conservators from the Balboa Art Conservation Center (BACC) as part of the Timken’s “Boucher: Conservation in a Park” exhibition.

During the final restoration stage, the Timken welcomes the public to
observe the conservation and restoration process on Thursdays and to ask
questions and interact with the conservators on Fridays through April.

Museum attendees may observe from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Thursdays and from noon to 4 p.m. Fridays. Conservators will be open to questions from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m Fridays. Admission is free.

This partnership between the Timken and BACC has allowed the two organizations to showcase a restoration, the first public conservation at the museum in more than half a century.

Instead of a formal winter/spring exhibit, typically part of the Timken’s ongoing, year-round schedule, the museum curatorial staff and BACC conservators took on the task of demystifying the world of art conservation. Officials describe the results as “an extraordinary, one-of-kind exhibition.”

Together, the two arts organizations transformed a gallery into an art studio, science lab, classroom and interactive space to include the public.

Boucher’s Lovers in a Park (1758) was among the first works acquired after the Timken
opened in 1965. Due to the painting’s large size (91.5 x 76.75 in.), Lovers in a
Park has rarely left the museum.

In the 59 years since the Timken became home to the artwork, the
painting’s protective varnish layer had naturally yellowed. The varnish discoloration is common in historic paintings.

Conservators applied the same analysis and conservation methods on
Lovers in a Park that other great museums around the world use to ensure the longevity of
their precious artworks.

“The restoration of the Boucher painting involved removing dust, aged varnish, old grime and glue and mismatched restoration paint, followed by applying a new varnish and inpainting old losses and abrasions,” said Alexis Miller, head of paintings conservation for BACC. Once completed, the painting will exhibit vibrant colors and enhanced depth.”

Upon completion of the restoration, Lovers in a Park will return to the Timken’s French Gallery.

“This project has been a bold demonstration of what caring for a collection means to great
museums,” said Derrick R. Cartwright, the Timken’s director of curatorial affairs.

“Never have our visitors had the opportunity to study the work quite like they can now. The conservation project and the accompanying public participation represent huge successes, not just for the Timken, but for the broader community,” he added.