Art Rescue Studio

Heritage Conservation & Restoration

Paintings • Historic Photographs • Works on Paper

Specialized Convex Photograph Conservation – Serving Clients Nationwide

Conservation Services

Paintings & Panel Works

  • structural stabilization
  • consolidation of lifting paint layers
  • varnish removal when appropriate
  • treatment of previous restoration

Large Historic Prints

  • large-format advertising prints
  • structural stabilization
  • archival support and backing
  • de-acidification, mending, and minimal retouching

Works on Paper

  • etchings and engravings
  • rag and linen papers, vellum, and parchment
  • cleaning, de-acidification, and stabilization
  • tear repair and archival mending

Historic Photographs & Convex Glass

  • mid-19th to early-20th century photographs
  • oval, octagonal and other convex glass formats
  • stabilization of fragile emulsion and backing materials
  • archival reassembly and preservation

Before & After Conservation

Italian devotional painting, 18th century

Before: Surface dirt, degraded varnish, and strutural instability.
After: Cleaning, stabilization and reversible retouching.

Treatment included surface cleaning, removal of old overpainting, previous restorations, and discolored varnish, consolidation of unstable paint layers, patching and reversible retouching to reintegrate losses. The intervention stabilized the structure of the painting while preserving the original material and historical character. The wooden panel was reinforced from the back with credle.

Stella Ilchenko, Art Conservator
Original oil painting cleaned mid 1960
Original oil painting, mid-19th century

About the Conservator

With over three decades of professional practice, each project is approached with careful examination and documentation. I specialize in the conservation and restoration of paintings, icons, works on paper, and historic photographic objects.

My work follows museum conservation standards, emphasizing ethical treatment, minimal intervantion, and reversible materials whenever possible. Each artwork is carefully examined and documented before treatment to understand its condition, materials, and historical context. Conservation treatments aim to stibilize the object while preserving its authenticity and historical integrity.

I also work with rare historic photographic objects, including 19th-century convex glass portraits and othere fragile assemblies requiring specialized conservation.

Clients include collectors, private families, and institutions seecking careful preservation of historic artworks and photographic materials.

Consultations are available for both local and nationwide conservation projects.

Request a Conservation Consultation

If you would like to discuss a conservation project, please send photographs and brief description of the artwork. Initial consultaions help evaluate condition and determine appropriate conservation treatment.

Email: info@artrescue.net

Phone: (916) 721-7777

Location: Sacramento, California

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