3 Ladies - Restoration
The Ladies
Some restoration projects can be very difficult especially when key parts of the original are missing as in this example. The window was part of an estate sale in Chicago, IL. The window measured approximately 5' x 7' and is typical of a period of stained glass revival in the late 19th to early 20th century. The opalescent glass in the background and border did not appear until the end of the 19th Century - introduced by Tiffany and LaFarge. The imagery - the 3 ladies - was also typical of the period. When it was brought to me it was obvious that some restoration work had already been done, but as you can see in the detail picture of the kneeling lady (detail of woman's head before), very badly. I removed all of the poorly restored glass (other detail with openings in the window) and began to recreate the look of the original art. The drawing and cartoon of the third lady was the first step (detail sketch).
The real challenge was recreating the flesh quality. For that I used clear glass with a pale flesh tone backwash. Several firings in a kiln were required to set the tone and blush of the face. The result (detail of woman's head after) was as near a duplication of the original as was possible without the original art.
While not for sale, this window represents the type of restoration I am capable of.
Dimensions: 5 ft x 7 ft