This week, a featured oil painting of Belgian origin. The work is strikingly similar to pieces by Belgian artist Frans VanLeemputten, active in the late 1800’s / early 1900’s, but in our case, too difficult for certainty. The style  and composition – a realist landscape with figure, village scene and animal – was a favorite by the artist, who was encouraged by mentors and captivated by novels of the day which extolled the virtues of peasants in the Campine region of north-eastern Belgium. He devoted significant work depicting its rural scenes.

Our painting, an oil-on-panel variety, arrived with significant build-up of grime, some craquelure, and damaged paint within a frame that didn’t do justice to the quality of the composition. Our work involved several rounds of delicate cleaning, followed by in-painting and re-varnish to help stabilize the paint, and correct previous rounds of in-painting by unknown hands. The end result is a beautiful piece of art, placed within a gorgeous, finished-corner frame appropriate for the period, composition, and the value of this lovely piece. Thank you! Artwork of your own in need of help or restoration? Please visit www.claremontcustomframing.com for more information about our custom framing and restoration services, or stop by our Claremont, NH shop for a free evaluation!