Varnish removal and cleaning of paintings
A yellowed, dirty varnish can make a painting look flat, brown and lifeless. Careful cleaning by an accredited conservator can bring back the colour, depth and detail the artist intended.
Rosalind Whitehouse ACR, trained at the National Gallery, London, has cleaned paintings for private owners, churches and public collections — including Constable's The Millstream, where cleaning revealed a tiny painted-over kingfisher.
Common questions
Why has my painting gone yellow or dark?
Most oil paintings were varnished, and natural resin varnishes yellow and darken with age. Surface dirt, smoke and nicotine add to it, hiding the original colours and detail.
Is varnish removal safe?
In trained hands, yes. Rosalind tests small areas first, chooses the gentlest effective method for that painting — including agar gel cleaning where suitable — and works under magnification, stopping where the original paint could be at risk.
Will cleaning remove original paint?
It should not. The aim is to remove only later, discoloured layers. Over-cleaning is a real risk with untrained restorers, which is why accreditation matters.
What happens after cleaning?
Any losses are retouched with reversible materials and the painting is given a fresh, stable varnish that will not yellow in the same way.