Why are paintings by Richard Wilson so difficult to restore? | National Gallery

Curator Mary McMahon talks to Conservation Fellow Maria Carolina Peña-Mariño about the challenge of restoring Richard Wilson’s painting ’The Valley of the Dee, with Chester in the Distance’ of about 1761. Despite his name not being well known today, Wilson was an important influence on British artists Constable and Turner. Maria’s meticulous cleaning of the painting’s surfact revealed huge ’drying’ cracks - the result of Wilson breaking the rules of oil painting techniques. Applying layers of oil paint quickly and loosely - possibly even to create a ’plein air’ effect, Wilson worked while the underlayers were still wet. Maria talks us through Wilson’s experimentation and the daunting process involved in reinstating his glowing cross-border panorama. 🎨 Find out more about Welsh artist Richard Wilson 🖌️ Get a closer look at the painting on our web