Ella

I began working for Guildhall Art Gallery in November 2022 as I am an aspiring painting conservator who was looking for an opportunity to see this essential work be completed first hand. Guildhall Art Gallery is home to the City of London Corporation’s art collection, holding many notable works by 19th Century artists. I was welcomed into the team with open arms, with them clearly being dedicated to providing a positive and valuable experience in exchange for my time.

While at Guildhall I was given the opportunity to experience a number of exciting tasks. I learned how to use the Gallery’s collection management system, digitising the galleries frames conservation records before tackling a collection of 201 photographs that were uncatalogued and storing them to conservation standards. I worked alongside the team condition checking and preparing works for exhibition, where I developed retouching skills to modify unsightly retouchings on a group of C.17th paintings. I was also taught how to consolidate flaking gesso and gilding and have now treated a number of frames in the collection.

While at Guildhall advice and support was easy to come by, with them consistently keeping my personal goals in mind and taking time out of their busy workdays to teach and advise me. Since then I have progressed onto a Masters degree in Technical Art History in Glasgow, within which my experience at Guildhall has been invaluable, and I continue to feel the team cheering me towards my goals from afar.