Testimonials
“Agathe has beautifully conserved many of our paintings, mainly a small collection of 17th-19th century Dutch artists. These have been in our family for as long as we can remember and had suffered badly over time, with dirt collected over years of city life and the presence of smokers.
Agathe has brought them back to life, carefully removing the old layers of yellowed varnish and restoring damage where needed. We are amazed at the freshness of the colours and the details that have become visible. Skies that until then had been covered in a yellow veil turned blue and fresh; the colours of clothing, details of figures standing out as the artist intended. Her skilful and sensitive conservation work has immensely increased the joy we experience in having these paintings around us.
She has also beautifully conserved a more modern painting which had been badly damaged. It is a pleasure to look at it every day, with its vibrant colours.
We have entrusted her with the paintings which are very dear to us and have found that, by bringing them back to life, she has heightened the joy they bring us. We have no hesitation in recommending Agathe’s outstanding skills for any conservation work.”
Jane and Menno Verburg
“I have known Agathe for many years, I discovered her by chance, it is rare to find an art restorer/conservator with such talent based in the hills just north of Inverness.
Agathe is a true professional and is highly skilled, she has a real passion for saving an oil painting that may be considered beyond repair by others. Her years of training since university have paid off, she is one of very few experienced art restorers working in Scotland and unsurprisingly, her expertise is in great demand.
My experience of presenting Agathe with a variety of paintings over the years has been fascinating. Careful visual inspections are made, with magnifying glasses or UV light, opinions are given on site in her workshop and written estimates follow. When the work is complete, along with an invoice, one receives a comprehensive Conservation Treatment Report containing useful ‘before and after’ photographs; a most valuable record to hold on file. I have always felt completely confident that I am dealing with a true professional who really understands her subject and who will carefully explain options for treatment to suit one’s budget; in some cases just cleaning is required. Art restoration and Conservation are not cheap but when one considers, the training, the expertise, the skills and the hours of painstaking work put into achieving a satisfactory result, the expense is more than justified and very good value.”
Roddy d’Anyers Willis
“I could not recommend the work Agathe does more highly. Agathe did a perfect job spending 6 months repairing a badly damaged painted ceiling and painted wallpaper dating back to 1840 so there was a lot of time and work spent finding the right paints and colours and matching the existing ceiling to the bit that had collapsed
The end result was more than excellent.”
Elizabeth Macintosh Walker