Work to restore 10ft Jesus painting under way

The 10ft painting of Jesus with Alison Smith at the foot of the painting touching up

Restoration of a 10ft painting of Jesus on the cross discovered in a damp barn and moved to a church for safety has begun.

It was discovered by Sarah Worne and her husband after they bought a plot of land near Lostwithiel, Cornwall, in October 2024.

She said she had since spoken to the previous owner of the property who said she had bought it at a Greenwich auction and drove it to Cornwall on the top of a Vauxhall Astra.

The painting was initially moved by trailer to St Bartholomew's Church, where the restoration work is now taking place, to protect it from deteriorating further.

Painting conservator Alison Smith touches up the edge of the Jesus painting

Paintings conservator Alison Smith said she had started first by replacing the linen along the rim and was now re-attaching the loose paint and touching up.

She said the back of the painting was covered in a thick layer of dust and the surface was also very dirty.

"The whole appearance of it was desaturated or washed out with the dirt," she said.

"It's always quite rewarding when something's really dirty, because you like to re-find the colours that it should be.

"The artist has put a waxy layer over the figures so that has protected them from being in a damp environment and just in general from absorbing any more dirt."

Painting Conservator Alison Smith said the painting had a waxy layer to protect the figures

Mrs Worne said she had discovered some more information about the artist Teresa Fuller: "She taught at the Slade School of Art [in London] which is still there, it's part of a big university now.

"This piece of work was bought at an auction in Greenwich and a lot of Teresa's art can be found in newspaper articles in the fifties and sixties of churches in that area."

Ms Smith said Teresa Fuller had "really thought about how to make it last in a church setting".