Every picture tells a story, and none more poignant than paintings which have suffered damage, vandalism or neglect since being sold by artists.
A free exhibition opening at The University of Queensland's Art Museum on August 12 will tell many of those stories, including that of a Frederick McCubbin oil portrait rescued from fire, and a badly slashed oil painting of horses.
The McCubbin is a fine example of one of 70 significant art works which have been conserved in the past few years by the UQ Art Museum.
At the other end of the scale, the horse painting by prominent English artist W. Frank Calderon is one of 250 pieces requiring conservation in the Museum's 2000-piece collection. These works are in need of adoption by corporate and private sponsors to save them for posterity.
"This exhibition will reveal the role of conservation in unveiling the history of art works," Museum curator Ross Searle said.
"We'll show some pieces as we've received them, still in need of conservation, and also conserved artworks, with photographs documenting some of that process.
"While the exhibition will be an important teaching resource for our Art History students, we expect members of the public to be fascinated with this collection because each piece has a great story to tell."
McCubbin, one of Australia's most significant artists, was commissioned in 1912-13 to paint an oil portrait of a five-year-old girl, Alice Hazel Kelso King (later to become one of Australia's most respected historians Dr Hazel Kelso King). The portrait was commissioned by her father Sir Kelso King, one time chair of the Walter and Eliza Hall Trust as a surprise for his wife.
After the full-length portrait was painted in Melbourne, it was sent to Melbourne colour store W and G Dean for packing and forwarding to the Kelsos in Sydney, but the premises caught fire and the painting was badly damaged.
The top part of the painting although blistered with heat could be rescued, so McCubbin cut the portrait down and made it into an oval, mounting it on another stretcher. He restored the work and offered it to the Kelsos for a reduced price, but they refused it and the work was subsequently sold and came into the University's collection.
The McCubbin was among items which caught Mr Searle's eye after joining UQ in 1996. He placed a moratorium on new acquisitions for two years while a conservator worked out priority lists of pieces in the University's collection for conservation.
"All priority one objects - the most significant works - have now been treated, and we are working our way through priorities two to four," he said.
"Many of these objects have been inappropriately framed somewhere in their history. Frames are an important part of the furniture and environment of the piece. We have a Robert Dowling painting from the 1860s depicting Australian aborigines in a neoclassical way and during the 1960s it was given a stark modernist frame. We have recently reframed this important piece in keeping with its period.
"Problems can include scratches, blemishes and warts on paintings which are exacerbated with age. In the 1960s particularly, some artists were not careful enough with the drying time and the paint started to deteriorate within two to three years.
"We anticipate there will be problems with drawings and prints made on modern mechanically produced papers produced from wood products and using unstable chemicals."
One of the largest items still awaiting conservation in the University's collection is the 3 metre x 1.5 metre Calderon oil on canvas of horses, which will feature in the August exhibition.
The huge piece is obviously the worse for wear since it was painted in 1898, with large slashes in the canvas, cracked paint, and missing details requiring infilling.
The painting was part of the Queensland Art Gallery collection until the 1960s, when large English oil paintings fell from vogue, and the item suffered subsequent misfortune.
Now in the hands of the UQ Art Museum, the work needs about $20,000 from a kindly benefactor to return it to its full glory and restore its dignity.
"As bad as this looks now, it can and should be saved," Mr Searle said. "We would like to conserve this piece and strengthen it, bonding a new canvas onto the old one.
"The UQ Alumni Association has been very supportive of our activities, and now we hope some more benefactors can assist us in saving works in the collection.
People wishing to assist the Museum in its work can contact Ross Searle at telephone 07 3365 3046.
The exhibition, which continues until September 9, can be seen at the Art Museum, levels five and six of the Forgan Smith Tower, UQ St Lucia. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm or Saturday 12-5pm.
Enquiries can also be directed to communications@mailbox.uq.edu.au
