Restoring a missing Gainsborough masterpiece

A long-lost portrait by the acclaimed 18th-century painter Thomas Gainsborough has been discovered in Royal Museums Greenwich’s collections: The painting, one of the finest surviving examples of Gainsborough’s early portrait work, depicts naval officer Captain Frederick Cornewall. Before the work can go on public display however, both the portrait and its frame require urgent conservation. The background of the painting has areas of vulnerable and flaking paint, which need to be stabilised. Conservators will also need to clean both the front and the back of the work in order to remove an acidic layer of dust and debris. We’re asking for your help in raising £60,000 to protect this remarkable artwork. With your support, we will be able to conserve Gainsborough’s lost portrait, ensuring it can take pride of place in the Queen’s House in Greenwich. ------------------------------------------------------- Royal Mus