Patrick Noon, Curator of Paintings; Joan Gorman and David Marquis, Senior Paintings Conservators (Upper Midwest Conservation Association) watch the painting as it is deinstalled from the gallery.
To examine the reverse of the painting, the protective backing board is removed. David Marquis assists in removing hardware for unframing the painting.
The painting is examined with a hand-held infrared scope. The conservator is looking for changes in composition, old restoration, and damage to the original canvas support.
David Marquis examines the sky area of the painting with the aid of a bright light. Old restoration covers large portions of original paint throughout the composition, particularly noticeable in the sky.