John Ashe Alston

Art

-

Historic Charleston Foundation

Name/Title

John Ashe Alston

Entry/Object ID

58.5.2

Tags

Needs files uploaded

Description

Samuel F.B. Morse (American, 1791-1872) John Ashe Alston (1780-1832) Charleston, SC 1818-1821 Oil on wood Gift of Mr. Thomas F. Cadwalader Portrait of John Ashe Alston Small Oil Portrait of John Alston in Gilt Frame. Shows John Alston Seated in an Armchair Holding a Book

Artwork Details

Medium

oil on wood

Collection

Historic Charleston Foundation Collection

Acquisition

Accession

58.5.

Source or Donor

Cadwalader, Mr. Thomas F.

Credit Line

Estate of Sally Middleton

Made/Created

Artist

Morse, Samuel F.B. (American, 1791-1872)

Date made

1818 - 1821

Place

City

Charleston

State/Province

South Carolina

Country

United States of America

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Painting

Nomenclature Class

Art

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Other Name

Portrait

Dimensions

Width

16-1/2 in

Length

15 in

Dimension Notes

[height] __[length]15" __[width]16.5" __[depth] __[diameter] __[size] __[other]FRAMED. PAINTING 10.5 x 8.5 inches

Location

Location

Room

303

Building

Nathaniel Russell House

Moved By

JBK

Date

July 28, 2004

Location

Building

NR 303 C2A

Category

Permanent

Moved By

SJ

Date

July 28, 2004

Location

Room

303

Building

Nathaniel Russell House

Category

Permanent

Moved By

SJ

Date

July 28, 2004

Location

Building

NR/106

Moved By

Jill Beute Koverman

Date

April 22, 2004

Notes

Until: 7/27/2004

Location

Building

NR/106

Moved By

Jill Beute Koverman

Date

March 19, 2004

Notes

Until: 3/30/2004

Location

Building

NR WITHDRAWING ROOM

Moved By

Red

Date

December 9, 1997

Notes

Until: 07/05/2000

Location

Building

NR WITHDRAWING ROOM

Moved By

Red

Date

December 9, 1997

Notes

Until: 07/05/2000

Location

Building

NR Exhibition Gallery

Category

Permanent

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Overall Condition

Good

Notes

This painting is in stable condition but there is weak adhesion between the paint layer and the support. The paint layer can be easily abraded in a simple surface cleaning. The painting had suffered pinpoint abrasion from a previous treatment. This sort of abrasion can also be found in many other miniatures painted by Morse. THis indicates that it was the way that Morse prepared the millboard that created a problem of inherent vice within the work. Some attempt was made to retouch the abraded paint areas, however, the retouch is quite obvious. THe sitter's hair in particular has been extensively retouched. It is desirable to reduce that retouch (if possible) and execute a more sensitive campaign of in-painting. A small area on the sitter's face has also been retouched and no longer matches the original paint. If this area of retouch can not be reduced the in-painting will be applied on top of the old retouch. The overall look of the painting would improve with the removal of the degraded varnish and the applicaiton of a new saturating coating. ( first examination was 1/15/01, re-exam on 3/1/01 Frame: The frame is in stable condition, although one of the corner joins has separated. The joins are secure. The gilt finish shows natural signs of patina and wear. The rabbet reqkluires a liner for sufficient framing hardware as currently the frame fit is entirely too loose, and does not support the painting adequately. The painting was held in place with the pressure of tine finishing nails pressed into the frame rabbet.

Conservation

Treatment

Conservator

Joanne Barry

Notes

Scope of work: Summary of treatment.: The aqueous cleaning component of this treatment was approached very gently with little pressure and with a spare amount of liquid to prevent further abrasion. The degraded varnish and the discolored retouch were reduced in the same manner using a solvent mixture, Keck II. The dark brown and black paint areas were still sensitive to solvent cleaning so they were not cleaned. The old retouch in the hair was reduced with Keck II. The pinpoint losses were first toned with watercolor. The painting was then varnished with two brush coats of MS2A to saturate the surface. The rest of the inpainting was executed in drained oils with MS2A resin in order to math the deep rich browns and reds. Treatment: Hours -The surface was cleaned with an aqueous solution, 1 2% of sodium citrate at a pH of 6.5, to remove accumulated grime - THe discolored varnish was reduced with a Keck II ( a mixture of 50% Petroleum Benzine, 15% Diacetone Alcohol and 35% Ethanol 2.25 -The previous campaign of overpaint was reduced with Keck II 1 -Losses were filled with Modostuc(R) and toned with watercolor 2 - An isolating varnish of MS2A was brush applied .25 -The abraded surface was inpainted with dry pigment in MS2A resin and drained oils in MS2A resin 2 - second coat of MS2A was brush applied .25 -Pad frame rabbet .25 -Install painting with appropriated hardware, shims, and backing board .5 Total hours 9.5 Conservation 9.5 hrs@$85.00/hr $ 807.50, Photography $96.00 Cost of Treatment $903.50, total in kind donation $374.00 Amount Charged $529.50 Total in kind donation $374.00 Cost: 903.5 Expected completion date: 2001-03-01

Relationships

Related Entries

Notes

58.5.1, 58.5.3, 79.6.1

Provenance

Notes

Collected By: John Ashe Alston Last Owner: John Ashe Alston/Sally Middleton/Thomas F. Cadwalader

General Notes

Note

Display Value: Excellent Notes: [photo]y __[slide] __[transparency] __[other] slides of before and after conservation treatment. digital image on disk, taken by Rick Rhodes, 300 pixels Status: OK Location Details1: 1 Location Details2: 1 User10: 172005

Created By

admin@catalogit.app

Create Date

December 9, 1997

Updated By

sferguson@historiccharleston.org

Update Date

May 1, 2023