Critchlow & Kukkonen Ltd

04/08/2026

It was an honour to conserve the first in a series of family portraits for Wentworth Woodhouse - and have the process and exciting discoveries captured in "Mysterious Mistaken Identity! Family Facelift - Part 2"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTF9_FI9fKo

Follow the restoration journey of the first of a series of historic family portraits still hanging at Wentworth Woodhouse. In Part 1 we saw the painting removed, but during cleaning the Conservator discovered details which had been hidden for over 244 years and which prove that everything we thought we knew about the painting and who is in it... is untrue!

If you'd like to support this exciting project to restore the remaining family portraits and uncover their hidden secrets please give what you can using the link below:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/restoring-portraits

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Follow the restoration journey of the first of a series of historic...

03/08/2026

We are delighted to be featured in Living North Magazine this month... Now on sale but here's a sneak preview...

13/07/2026

Last week we were delighted attend 'From Ruin to Revival: A Celebration' - a private view celebrating conservation, restoration and redisplay of 18th century portraits and family portraits from Sizergh Castle NT.

In 2023 a burst pipe above the Drawing Room caused severe water damage to the interior and collection, including thirteen easel paintings. Together with frame conservator Mike Howden, paintings conservator Julia Dalzell and furniture conservator John Wynn Griffiths, we treated the range of artworks - which are now back on display for the public to enjoy.

The aftermath of the flood, the painstaking studio conservation work and the re-display of the artworks has been captured on film by the talented TripleDotMakers. We hope we can share the film with you very soon!

1 - Enjoying the private view with newly conserved paintings, furniture and interior in the Drawing Room at Sizergh Castle.

2 - From left to right, furniture conservator John Wynn Griffiths, paintings conservator Julia Dalzell, our own Lucy Critchlow, and frame conservator Mike Howden with the conserved tortoiseshell cabinet and some of the conserved paintings.

3 to 4 - Enjoying the beautifully presented canapés.

5 - Lucy C arriving on bike at the private view.

6 - Showing of the conservation film by Manchester based Triple Dot Makers.

7 - Entrance this way...

8 - Another shot of another sensational canapé.

08/07/2026

Last night we were delighted to attend the VIP launch of the exhibition "Echoes of the House: Stories in Light and Motion" Wentworth Woodhouse!

1 - Our team enjoying the sunny evening
2 - 4 Echoes of the House display installations
5 - William Denton, Butler of the house in 1800s
6 - Never too old to play
7 - The marble Saloon
8 - prideofyorkshiretrail lion inspired by the marble Saloon
9 - What a view!
10 - Lucy reunited with her recent project (more about that later..)
11 - What a great night - Thank you!

25/06/2026

"I love and only love the fairer s*x and thus beloved by them in turn, my heart revolts from any other love than theirs." (Anne Lister, January 29, 1821)

What a better way to celebrate pride month than to look back twelve years to the conservation work we carried out on one of the only portraits of the q***r icon Anne Lister. This painting, attributed to Joshua Horner, belongs to Calderdale Museums and can be viewed at Shibden Hall.

The conservation work involved surface cleaning, removal of discoloured varnish layers and retouching of damages.

23/06/2026

Yesterday afternoon Lucy C was thrilled to take part in The Institute of Conservation (ICON) Paintings Group Event: 'Treatment Cycles for Easel Paintings' as part of the ICON 26 Conference.

Presenting on zoom alongside some fascintaing talks by Sarah Staniforth, Julia Nagle, Clare Finn and Devi Ormond, Lucy's talk was entitled...

"A journey back in time with the National Trust"
.. and detailed the conservation and restoration of the Mallory Family Portrait of c. 1649 by English School from Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust

23/06/2026

We are delighted to share an overview of our conservation and restoration of the large scale Mallory Family Portrait from the mid 17th century from Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust.

The painting came to our studio last July and after Infrared Reflectogram, Microscopic Paint Sample and thorough studio analysis we began treatment... The painting is now on display for visitors to enjoy at Fountain's Hall after nearly 50 years in storage!

1. Front, Before Treatment - with protective tissue facing adhered to the whole front of the fragile painting over 40 years ago!

2. Detail photograph taken during removal of yellowed varnish and discoloured retouchings

3. Whole Front, after cleaning

4. Action Shot - showing Lucy C and Pauline Murray removing a thick layer of glue-paste adhesive after de-lining a two layered lining canvas.

5. Action Shot - showing Lucy C and Pauline re-lining the fragile canvas onto a polyester sailcloth lining canvas.

6. Action Shot - showing Pauline retouching damages to the boy's dress.

7. Action Shot - showing Lucy C varnishing the conserved painting.

8. Whole Front, After Treatment

9. Action shot - rolling the canvas onto a cylinder with freelance technician and joiner Andrew Greenway, so that the painting could be safely transported to the first floor Great Chamber at Fountain's Hall.

10 - 11 Action Shots - manoevering the rolled canvas up the external winding stone staircase to the narrow back doorways of Fountain's Hall, with art transport and installation firm Constantine.

12. Action Shot - preparing to unroll the cavnas from its cylinder - in the Great Chamber of Fountain's Hall.

13. Action Shot - the lined canvas is now tensioned onto its new stretcher and Eeva is securing keys to the reverse.

14. Front, Framed, After Treatment - the finished painting is displayed in its new frame constructed by frame conservator Mike Howden.

15. Action Shot - Lucy C and Eeva with the framed painting safely installed in the Great Chamber of Fountain's Hall.

20/06/2026

Throwback to Friday! This is what got up to yesterday...

1 - Eeva applying an isolating varnish on a 17th c panel painting
2 - Lucy C working on a talk for the Institute of Conservation (ICON)
3 - Photographing paintings at different stages of treatment
4 - Lucy P editing said photos
5 - Dusting a frame for a private client
6 - zzzz

02/06/2026

This was such a fantastic painting to work on... What a transformation indeed!

31/05/2026

We were thrilled to feature in the BBC news this weekend ✨

Eeva Kukkonen works on paintings for stately homes, museums and galleries across Yorkshire.