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599 NINTH STREET NORTH SUITE 309 | NAPLES, FL 34102 | 239.261.2637
ASK THE ARTSPERTS RESTORING AN EGG TEMPERA PAINTING www.harmonmeek.com

by Juliana Meek and Kristine Meek
Dear Artsperts:

I inherited an egg tempera
painting by Robert Vickrey from my
grandparents but it seems like there is
a foggy substance on the surface of the
painting. Is that something I can have
repaired and should I be concerned
about it effecting the painting’s value?
Signed,
Foggy View

Dear Foggy,

The American master Robert
Vickrey (1926-2011) was the leading
egg tempera painter for the last half
of the 20th century, an opinion held
by the New York Times art critic John
Canaday in the early 1970s. While keep art work in an air conditioned, temperature controlled environment.
the egg tempera medium is quite The mold can often be gently wiped away with a soft cloth or cotton balls. The only way to stop this
difficult to master, Vickrey wrote two mold from re-growing on the surface is to varnish the painting with a matte varnish to preserve the flat
books about the technique which look of Vickrey’s paintings. However, since egg tempera paintings take two years to cure completely he
have been used by hundreds of artists seldom had paintings unsold long enough to wait the two years to varnish them himself.
attempting to learn the century’s old Fortunately there is an expert painting conservator in Naples, Thomas Wagner, who Vickrey himself
medium. used to repair damage to his paintings while he was alive. Wagner inherited the artist’s paint pigments
As far as the foggy substance and learned the technique from the master himself. So on the rare occasion someone contacts us
occurring on the surface of the about a cotton candy growth appearing on an egg tempera painting, we tell the person to contact Tom
painting: that will not harm the Wagner to clean the surface and to apply a new coat of varnish.
painting and is easily removed. It We sometimes see paintings with this condition show up at national art auctions and unfortunately
is a non-abrasive, non-affecting for the seller it often results in lower prices being realized because potential collectors are scared to
mold which grows on the surface bid on what they perceive is a damaged work of art. Knowledgeable collectors can sometimes “pick up
of 5% of the artist’s paintings. This a bargain” and then simply have the painting cleaned and varnished later. Hope this clears things up!
phenomenon is likely the result of
Sincerely,
the painting being hung or stored
in a place with higher humidity and The Artsperts
temperature. This is another reason to

Left: This image shows the cotton-candy-like mold growing on the surface of the painting making it appear “foggy”.
Right: This is an image of the painting after cleaning and varnishing. “La Boheme” by Robert Vickrey, 24” x 31”,
egg tempera on panel, 1993.

38 Life in Naples | March 2017