Has your painting turned yellow? Its original colours can be recovered

Over time, many paintings take on a yellow or brown tone that hides their original colours. Whites look beige, blues lose their brightness, and the whole composition becomes darker. In many cases, this change is caused by aged varnish or accumulated dirt and can be corrected through professional cleaning.

If you would like to restore the appearance of your painting, you can request professional cleaning from Alex Víctor Ihnatenko, a painting restorer in Barcelona who specializes in removing aged varnish, cleaning old paintings and recovering their colours. The initial assessment is free.

Why you should not clean an old painting with household products

Soapy water may seem like a simple solution, but some pigments, binders and ground layers are sensitive to moisture. Even a small amount of liquid can penetrate cracks and cause changes that are difficult to correct.

Alcohol poses another risk. Some varnishes react immediately to certain solvents, but the paint layers beneath them may react as well.

Vinegar, baking soda and glass-cleaning products are not suitable either. Their chemical composition is not designed to act selectively on the different layers of an old painting.

A particularly dangerous mistake is assuming that if the dirt disappears quickly, the product is working properly. In some circumstances, the material being removed may include original paint.

Why do old varnishes turn yellow?

Many paintings were protected with varnishes made from natural resins such as mastic or dammar.

Over time, chemical changes can alter these materials’ transparency and colour. Exposure to light, oxygen and other environmental factors contributes to these processes.

However, a yellowed surface does not always mean the varnish has deteriorated. Tobacco smoke, grease particles, pollution and changes in the paint materials themselves can create a similar appearance.

That is why small-area cleaning tests are needed before treatment begins, to study how the different layers respond.

On some paintings, removing an aged layer is relatively straightforward. On others, several varnish layers, earlier interventions or especially sensitive surfaces mean the work must proceed much more gradually.

Restoration techniques from different European schools

Alex Víctor Ihnatenko brings to his Barcelona studio artistic and technical experience shaped by different European restoration traditions.

His initial training in Eastern Europe and professional practice in Spain allow him to combine knowledge of historic materials with contemporary conservation procedures.

This approach is especially useful when yellowing is not the only problem. A painting may have oxidized varnish, craquelure, lifting paint and old repairs at the same time.

In these cases, Alex does not apply one uniform treatment across the whole surface without distinguishing between the problems. He first identifies unstable areas, selects suitable consolidation procedures, and then approaches the cleaning according to the sensitivity of the materials.

When small losses need to be reconstructed, he can also use traditional preparations adapted to each artwork, together with modern conservation adhesives and materials.

This combination broadens the range of possible treatments and makes it possible to address complex paintings without relying on a single cleaning or restoration method.

Experience matters beyond museums

Alex’s projects include paintings from private collections, the historic portrait of the founder of the Rieusset factory, and works associated with Barcelona’s Herboristeria del Rei.

Paintings kept in homes, businesses and historic spaces face challenges that differ from those in museum collections. They may have been exposed for years to environmental fluctuations, airborne particles and changing lighting conditions.

For that reason, treatment is not aimed only at improving the painting’s immediate appearance: its conservation conditions and the compatibility of the materials used are also considered.

How much does it cost to clean a yellowed painting?

The price depends on the size of the work, the condition of the paint layer and the difficulty of removing deposits or altered varnish.

A surface cleaning and the reduction of several old varnish layers are very different jobs. In some cases, fragile areas also need to be consolidated before any treatment can begin.

You can send photographs of the painting in natural light, its approximate dimensions and an image of the reverse to receive a free initial assessment.