Work on paper

A scene of soldiers: tears and losses

Tears and white losses split the image in two. Filled and retouched, they no longer show.

Scene of marching soldiers crossed by tears and white losses — Before

The same scene after the tears and losses were filled and retouched — After

The object

A dark image of soldiers on the march.

Condition

Several vertical tears and small losses showed the white of the paper in the middle of the scene. On such a dark image, every loss caught the eye at once.

Treatment

The tears were repaired and the losses filled, then retouched to match the tone of the image around them.

Result

The scene reads as one again. The repairs are reversible and remain identifiable to a conservator.