Portrait of the past is restored at Attingham Park
Eagle-eyed visitors to Attingham Park may have noticed a bare square of red painted wall in the inner library of the house over the last two weeks.
It is usually the spot where a 17th century oil painting of Sir Rowland Hill can be seen, hanging among portraits of his descendants.
But for the last fortnight it has instead been standing on an easel down the corridor, where the estate's painting conservator Annabelle Monaghan has been at work painstakingly restoring it to its former glory.
The 17th century painting is a copy of an earlier original at Mercers' Hall. It is one of three copies, with the others on display at the Museum of London and Tatton Park in Cheshire.
Over the years the painting had begun to deteriorate, undergoing several restorations, the last of which Ms Monaghan believed to have been around 100 years ago.
"It has always been in the family collection, like all the family portraits are," she said.
"It had a very yellow, discoloured varnish and dirt, which I have removed and now I am re-touching old damages.
"The varnish was really dark and had a darkening effect on the painting because it had discoloured.
