Conservation Updates
Welcome to our news page. Here we periodically share updates from our restoration studio: projects we are working on, remarkable discoveries, and insights from the profession. Check back regularly for the latest news on restoration and conservation.
On January 28, 2026, I received a plaster statue from a customer from the city of Alkmaar, which is the preliminary study of the sculpture “The Woodworker”, which was later elaborated on a larger scale.
In the first instance, the director of the Honig factory had given an order to Slavomir Miletic. Miletic worked at the Honig factory, as a working student, to provide money, for his livehood and that of his wife and child.
Probably as “support” / recognition of the artistry, the director of Honig, commissioned the production of a large statue of “the Zaan worker”. The sculpture made of concrete, was placed in front of the Honig factory (factory of soups and stock-soup cubes)
Later, after much opposition, the same statue of concrete, via Waterlooplein in Amsterdam, a storage of the Municipality, and then finally made in bronze, was erected at a bridge in the city of Zaandam.
The restoration:
This small preliminary study of “The Woodworker”, made of plaster (height 65 cm), had fallen and several pieces had broken off and/or splintered.
If possible, the parts, I glued back, with PVA glue. Missing parts have been supplemented with light yellow-colored new plaster.
Finally, the sculpture has been retouched with Schmincke, lightfast watercolor paint.
Work period : 3 days part-time.
YELLOWED VARNISH – November 2025
Family H. living in Amsterdam, came on 7 november 2025, to my atelier, with a small panel, Oil-paint on oak.
Artist : Cornelis Johannes van de Aa. Artist and art-dealer (1883-1950 ). Living then at Almelo, Netherland.
The panel, 11x 16 cm, has a significant Yellowish varnish.
Me, as the restorer, I do not decided quickly , to remove a varnish.
It is namely always a light attack of the authentic paint-layer. So when the representation is still enough “visible”, I acccept the light yellow vanish, as part of the years. In this case, a sea-representation, the true colors of the sky and the water, (as it was meant by the artist) , is from great importance. Thus after, consultation with the owners, it was decided to remove the varnish.
After removing the vanish, the panel has varnished again with fresh dammar varnish ,mixed with 2% tinuvin.
De cost of this restoration came at price of : € 250,= ( excl. Vat)
