Sarah Cove
Accredited Paintings Conservator & Technical Art Historian
Founder, Constable Research Project
London/ Falmouth
Ph: 01326 373237
sarahcove101[at]gmail.com
Period: 16th – century portraiture, 17th – century portraiture, 18th – century portraiture, 19th – century portraiture, 20th – century portraiture
Medium: Painting
Theme: Conservation, Learning & Participation, Medical Portraiture, Military/Naval & Professional portraiture, Regional British portraiture, Women artists
Memberships (professional bodies)
ICON (Accredited)
Fellow of IIC (International Institute for the Preservation and Conservation of historic & Artistic works)
Fellow of BAPCR (British Assoc of Paintings Conservator-Restorers)
ICOM-CC
The Conservation Register
Career summary
Foundation Course In Art (Central School of Art & Design) 1979.
BA(Hons) History of Art (Courtauld) 1982.
Post Grad Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings (Courtauld) 1985.
Internships: V&A, NPG London 1985-6.
Worked freelance as paintings conservator based in London since 1987 specialising in British portraits 16-20th c, 19/20th c. landscapes, oil on paper and board, technical examination of paintings. Have worked as a conservator on numerous private, heritage and corporate portrait collections all over London and SE England.
Accredited (NADFAS) lecturer, experienced lecturer and presenter.
Various TV appearances from 2003 onwards.
Established the Constable Research Project in 1986. Now the foremost authority on Constable’s materials and techniques.
www.facebook.com/constable.research.project
Areas of interest / research
Materials and techniques of British portraiture – especially 16/17th c. and 19/20th c.
Currently working with Eileen Cooper RA to document her painting materials and techniques incl. portraits
Details of books/publications relating to your work on British portraiture
- Thesis: ‘The Materials & Techniques of Jacobean portrait painter William Larkin, c.1609-19’ (unpublished, Conservation Dept, Courtauld Institute 1985)
- ‘Restoring the English Icon: Portraits by William Larkin’, Sarah Cove & Alan Cummings, in post-prints to “Appearance, Opinion, Change: Evaluating the Look of Paintings”, AAH/UKIC, 1990, pp 45-9
- ‘All that glitters…’: William Larkin’s painting materials and techniques, c.1609-19’ in The Suffolk Collection: A catalogue of paintings, L. Houliston, English Heritage, 2012, pp.52-71.