Special Project (pg 7):

James T. Steichen
Date Last Modified: 02-Sep-2022


A local couple asked me to repair a marquetry picture in their possession.
Several pieces of veneer were curling up due to humidity and needed to be glued
back down. I noticed that the original creator of the picture had used a light filler
to fill in saw cuts instead of something dark, which made it difficult to see a lot
of details that were on light-colored veneers. So, I used an India ink & Shellac
mixture to darken a lot of the details, such as garment folds, skin creases, etc.
The first picture is the original piece with the veneers glued back in place,
followed by the final result. I've also included a recent picture of Da-Vinci's
restored "Last Supper," located in Italy, for comparison.

Original work given for repair (Sorry, only a partial shot):

After I worked my magic:

Leonardo's Masterpiece: