Datum Fine Art Conservation

We knew this old Henry T Harvey had to be restored to let the colors come alive again. Rob was kind and patient as he described his process. We are delighted with the outcome! Rob was a pleasure to work with, we would use him again, and we recommend him highly.

"The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material." Essentially, there is an angel in the marble; it behooves the artist to reveal it. So Michelangelo is quoted speaking about his work. And such were the diligent, exacting, methodical attentions of consummate conservator Rob Datum, who shone a new light on the luminous (and arguably numinous) figure of a Madonna with child and hence not only restored the original beauty of our 19th Cent. European artist Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze painting but really transformed the way we see it. Rob earned our trust in sharing our family treasure with him by introducing us to his "laboratory" and methodology (down to the pH of his citrate buffer) and cl

My husband & I purchased a painting recently and it arrived damaged in the shipping. It had a bullseye hole right at the top of the painting.We took it to Robert who we found online to repair it. He thoroughly explained the steps he would take to do the work.He let us know the work would be tedious and delicate but he reassured us he could do it. Also, he was most confident he could bring it back like nothing happened to it.He did just that! It came out so well, beautiful and a job well-done. He even reinforced the backing where the hole was. We were so grateful and highly recommend his expertise to anyone. Lastly, his price was reasonable and the time frame to complete the work was excellent.

Rob recently cleaned and restored an oil painting of my grandfather done in the 1940's. It had hung at my aunt's house for most of its life in a home where constant smoking was the norm before landing with my cousin 2 years ago and then recently gifted to me. As a result, it was in desperate need of cleaning along with some minor repairs. Every step of the process was impeccable starting with the quick response from Rob upon my inquiry. He quickly set up an appointment at my convenience to meet with him at his studio. Once there, his expertise was quickly surmised as he explained to me what needed to be done with the painting and how he would complete the work. His estimate was very fair and the work was completed in a very timely fashion. When I picked up the painting, the differenc

Rob took the time to understand my concerns and make sure we were on the same page before moving forward. He expertly cleaned my artwork based on the paint used and the material of the canvas, and also attached it to the appropriate frame/backing. Communication was good and prices were very fair, he provided an accurate estimate on an itemized receipt beforehand as well. Would highly recommend Rob’s services to anyone!