Peeling off the layers of a Whistler painting
Don't always take a painting at face value. Join Rachel Scott in our Paintings Conservation Studio as she removes layers of old varnish to reveal the original colours of James McNeill Whistler's painting of Miss May Alexander (1874–5).
See this painting and more masterpieces by Whistler in the new survey of his work, now open at Tate Britain until 27 September 2026: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/whistler
00:00 Intro to Whistler, an unconventional Victorian
00:42 Music and painting
00:59 Portrait of Miss May Alexander
01:36 Challenges of conserving Whistler's works
03:01 Using a new method of varnish removal
04:20 Before and after conservation
Subscribe for more stories from behind the scenes at Tate: http://goo.gl/X1ZnEl
To license Tate films please email film.licensing@tate.org.uk
See this painting and more masterpieces by Whistler in the new survey of his work, now open at Tate Britain until 27 September 2026: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/whistler
00:00 Intro to Whistler, an unconventional Victorian
00:42 Music and painting
00:59 Portrait of Miss May Alexander
01:36 Challenges of conserving Whistler's works
03:01 Using a new method of varnish removal
04:20 Before and after conservation
Subscribe for more stories from behind the scenes at Tate: http://goo.gl/X1ZnEl
To license Tate films please email film.licensing@tate.org.uk
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