Label
2024, “Endangered Art: Reclaiming a Legacy”
Ginevra Ingersoll, an American artist who worked in New York and Italy, is best known for her portraits. During her life, her work was prominently displayed at the Royal Academy in London. In The Young Sailor, the stark white of the boy’s clothing and toy against the dark background combined with the loose, thick application of paint creates a sculptural sense of realism.
Typical of early 20th-century American paintings, this portrait was not originally given a varnish barrier. Over time, soot permeated the unprotected paint. Treatment included cleaning and stabilizing the canvas, adding reversible in-painting to small areas of loss, repairing the frame’s ornament, and adding a gilt varnish.