Restored art bridges gap to city’s industrial golden age

In an unassuming workspace in the city restorers have spent hundreds of hours bringing a work of art back to its true glory.

They removed thick varnish and clumsy repairs to present the painting of a cityscape just as it looked more than 170 years ago.

And to the amazement of the craftswoman who worked on it, two unknown features have been revealed. Both had been covered up by ‘improvements’ which probably took place decades ago.

“It’s amazing,” said painting conservator Eeva Kukkonen, originally from Finland but now settled in Sheffield.

The painting is called Bridge and White Rails at Bridgehouses, Sheffield and is by an unknown artist from 1840.

Thanks to a £3,000 fundraising appeal, conservation work has now been given a new lease of life. The painting, which shows industrial Sheffield during the 1800s, goes on show at the Millennium Gallery later this month as part of the new exhibition, Picturing Sheffield.

Miss Kukkonen works with Critchlow as Critchlow & Kukkonen Ltd, a partnership which is renowned for its ability to restire works of art for museums, collectors and private individuals.

The work has not only safeguarded it for future generations, but also surprised curators at Museums Sheffield by revealing unknown parts of the painting that had previously been hidden.

‘Bridge and White Rails at Bridgehouses, Sheffield’ offers a wonderful glimpse into daily life around the River Don during the mid-19th century. Until recently, the work suffered from cracks and scratches in the paint and yellowing varnish, as well as damage to its historic frame. Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Museums Sheffield and visitors to the city’s museums and galleries, the painting was able to receive much-needed attention at Critchlow & Kukkonen Ltd, a specialist painting conservation and restoration studio in Sheffield.

During the painstaking process, Miss Kukkonen carefully inspected the painting before removing dirt, dust and the discoloured varnish from the canvas. She then made a surprise discovery – previous attempts at conservation had actually concealed a key part of the image; a horse and rider in the foreground of the painting, which it appears had been covered up due to damage.

By carefully matching the original pigments, Eeva was able to restore the horse and rider, which now form a striking centre point of the image, as well as a second concealed figure towards the edge of the canvas. She said: “Bridge and White Rails at Bridgehouses’ has been a very enjoyable painting to conserve. Returning the previously hidden characters to the scene where they belong has been a rewarding challenge. It is always very satisfying to help to bring a painting back to life for the public to enjoy.”

Hannah Brignell, curator of Visual Art at Museums Sheffield, said: “Bridge and White Rails at Bridgehouses’ is such wonderful window into the city’s past, it’s fantastic to see it conserved for future generations to enjoy. The discovery of the hidden figures makes it even more remarkable and we can’t wait to share it with our visitors.