Allah Bakhsh

ARC studio received this artwork by Allah Bakhsh in June 2017. Allah Bakhsh, referred to as the “master painter” in the early 20th century, was a Pakistani painter and calligrapher. This work of his, a portrait of a lady, is an oil painting; a heavily gold gilded wooden frame framing the canvas.

Flaking of paint layer was observed all over especially at the edges, the face and hair of the figure. While there was no varnish, there was a thick accumulation of dust, dirt and soot. Some previous interventions were also observed. There were fillings and reintegration that were quite evident and had discoloured over time. The bar-marks of the strainer used for stretching the painting was visible on the front.

The treatment started with careful removal of the thick accumulation of dust, dirt and soot without damaging the paint layer. The flaking paint layer was then consolidated using compatible conservation adhesive. A loose lining was given to provide additional strength to the painting, and also to protect the verso from dust and dirt accumulation. Further, the painting was stretched on to a new stretcher. The losses in the paint layer were filled using conservation putty made with inert material. Then, a protective coating was applied on the paint layer to protect it from dust and dirt. In-painting of the fillings were carried out using reversible and compatible paint media.