Ohlenschlager & Rice
Oil Painting Cleaning and Restoration
"Ohlenschlager & Rice have done a splendid job of restoring a medium-sized pair of framed oil paintings for me.
Though not especially valuable, I have great sentimental attachment to the pictures which are one of the few things I have of my Grandmothers.
Having seen O&G’s advertisement in a local magazine some time earlier, I decided to take the plunge and risk handing over my treasured pictures to total strangers.
Their detailed and descriptive receipt and estimate were reassuring and time proved the very reasonable estimate to be accurate.
I need not have worried.
O&R listened carefully to my requests and carried them out faithfully; not over-cleaned and just a touch of gilt applied to the frames in accordance with the age and era of the paintings.
A few weeks down the line, the varnish was dry and the pictures were delivered promptly at a mutually agreed time, looking exactly as requested; warmth and clarity sympathetically restored.
In addition, they had invisibly stabilised and improved areas of paint which were flaking.
Well done O&G, they are wonderful as are you."
Sally from Marlow.
1828 Portrait of the Owner's Great Grandfather
1828 Portrait of the Owner's Great Grandfather
“ Just a short note to say how impressed I am by the quality of your work in restoring the full beauty of the portrait of my great grandfather Jean Pierre.
By his smug impression, he is impressed too!”
B St.C, Buckinghamshire
1. A French Canal-side Scene 2. Grimsby Docks
1. A French Canal-side Scene 2. Grimsby Docks
"Great care and attention was taken not only on restoring and reframing a pair of my Uncle's oil paintings but also on keeping me informed on every step of the project .
The pictures now have pride of place in our home and are a daily joy to look at'
R SN, Berkshire
"The painting came back transformed!
After being hung up in a smoky atmosphere for 30 years, this oil painting had a layer of tar and grease on it, that Ohlenschlager and Rice did a fantastic job in cleaning. They filled a couple of holes and re-framed it so it looks good as new. We would absolutely recommend this fantastic team to restore any paintings in the future – they even hand delivered it to us at our home in Woking – what service!"
H & PC, Woking
"I'd inherited this ship painting several years ago, but had always kept it in a cupboard because of its poor condition.
Jane and Anne cleaned and re-varnished it, bringing out the detail and the colours, and had the picture remounted in its frame.
They kept me informed at every step of the process. The painting now looks almost as good as new, and we've hung it in a prominent position in our dining room."
Mr TL, Berkshire
"Thanks to you both.
We are delighted with the painting and the frame.
Much appreciated."
M & T O'D, Radnage
"I am absolutely delighted with the restoration work Ohlenschlager and Rice did on my portrait.
It has great sentimental value as it is a painting my mother did of me in 1971.
The work that has been done to it now means that I can hang it in pride of place in my home.
Thank you so much."
Mary
“This portrait of my grandfather was beginning to look a bit faded and we felt it needed some attention to bring out the details again. Jane and Anne (Ohlenschlager & Rice) have cleaned and restored the painting and the frame beautifully and I am delighted with the finished work.
It has also brightened the room where it now hangs.”
Mrs P.D., Berkshire
"Thank you ladies for a job well done.
I have had my large painting of Hobbema's 'Avenue at Middleharnis' since 1948. I've travelled far and wide and the picture has usually followed me around. It was showing its age and was in desperate need of some TLC.
Jane and Anne (Ohlenschlager & Rice) took it away and restored it beautifully.
Many thanks indeed."
Valerie
“Anne and Jane (Ohlenschlager & Rice) have been restoring a set of paintings that hang in St Botolph's Church, Bradenham.
The paintings that depict the Stations of the Cross are not especially valuable, but are a part of the heritage and fabric of the church, having been painted by a Rector's daughter sometime in the 1920's.
Time, damp and bird droppings had taken their toll on the images. Discoloured and even rotted through in places, they were steadily deteriorating and fast approaching a state of total ruin. Anne and Jane came to the rescue.
Over the past 10 months or so, they have taken the paintings one by one and lovingly restored each to its former glory.
The true depth of the colours and the subtleties of the artist's palette are now revealed. No one had ever noticed the knots of wood in the cross that weighed Jesus down or the tiny green shoots on the crown of thorns - an allusion to Luke 23 ''For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”.
Jane and Anne's work has breathed new life into these beautiful paintings and ensured that they will continue to remind worshippers of the story of Jesus for the next 90 years or so.”
Rev Jen
“This portrait has been in my husband’s family for many years and I love it. We realised how much the varnish had darkened when we moved it to a different room in the house. We had heard of Ohlenschlager & Rice through a mutual friend and asked them to see what they could do.
The difference now is amazing. You really see the freshness of her face and the detail in her bonnet and her lace dress. I love her even more now.”
V.H. - Berkshire
"I purchased this oil on canvas painting from a small art gallery. The varnish was discoloured due to its age (19th century), and there were some fine-line cracks on the young man's face and in the background.
Ohlenschlager & Rice treated the painting with extreme care, and sympathetically cleaned and restored it.
The restoration has revealed so much more detail - for instance, highlights in the hair and clothing were brought to light - and I am absolutely thrilled with the finished result."
Jan