THOMAS BEACH, R.A. | Portrait of Eliza Fitzgerald

oil on canvas, laid down on board

Canvas has been laid down on board and is pressed as a result. Paint surface is quite abraded and thin in some areas due to over-cleaning, such as in tree branch just above and left of sitter's head, in her hair, right side of her shawl, and in much of the background. Heavy craquelure is noticeable mostly in whites. Despite this, the painting still reads reasonably well and presents a lovely and very decorative image. Ultraviolet reveals what appears to be a small old compound tear through branch of the tree. There are some scattered retouches in the background but figure itself looks very good with only some small dots of repaint in hair and right temple and a few other tiny areas of retouches to an area of her costume. It appears that there are possible retouches to her chest and arms, but these do not fluoresce. In an ornately carved wood frame with some minor nicks.
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