By SirBacon.org
There are Baconian moments that simply feel special — and this is one of them.
This remarkable video follows the careful restoration of a treasured portrait of Sir Francis Bacon for Bacon400, revealing the extraordinary skill, patience, and reverence involved in bringing history back to life. From delicate cleaning and repair to its return to Gray’s Inn Hall, the journey is genuinely fascinating.
Even for those long familiar with Bacon, there is something moving about seeing his face emerge again through the hands of modern conservators. Highly recommended viewing.
Thank you to Plowden & Smith for this fascinating video! Their video and description are below:
Francis Bacon Portrait Restoration and Displayed at Gray’s Inn
We were honoured to be asked by the Francis Bacon Society to restore their treasured portrait of Sir Francis Bacon for #Bacon400 the 400th anniversary of Sir Francis Bacon’s death in 1626.
The portrait now hangs in Hall at @HonSocGraysInn where Katherine Gwyn, Archivist and Records Manager at Gray’s Inn, and Sally Gibbins, Principal at the Francis Bacon Society, talk about the importance of the portrait, and Bacon himself, to the Inn.
Our Paintings Conservator, Lily Down, shares her insights into the treatment of the painting from removing the artwork from its frame, the importance of cleaning the painting while keeping areas of damage safe, repairing the tear, and in-painting the areas of loss to make the painting complete.
00:00 – Introduction to Gray’s Inn
00:55 – Gray’s Inn Portrait Collection
02:20 – The legacy of Sir Francis Bacon
03:04 – Bacon400 and the portrait’s history
04:35 – Painting Conservation – Introduction
05:29 – Painting Conservation – Facing and cleaning the artwork
06:46 – Painting Conservation – Mending the tear
07:30 – Painting Conservation – Filling and in-painting
08:32 – Painting Conservation – Re-framing
09:51 – The portrait back at Gray’s Inn
