This unusual wax tableau depicts the death of Voltaire and is thought to be made by Samuel Percy (1753-1819) who was best known for his miniature portraits in wax, but was also an aspiring sculptor. Voltaire is the pen name of Francois-Marie Arouet (b.1694-d.1778) who was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher.

Upon its arrival to the workshop the tableau was in poor condition with several losses, inappropriate repairs and a significant amount of ingrained dirt.  The bed hangings had been altered which had resulted in details being lost and there was loose pigment painted on surfaces. The figure of the housekeeper was not securely attached.

A significant amount of investigation and research was required to restore the visual integrity of the tableau, to replicate the lost bed hangings and to identify suitable conservation cleaning techniques to remove the ingrained dirt and reveal fine details. The housekeeper and other loose items were secured and chips and losses were filled and colour matched. Discoloured areas of wax and restoration, such as the housekeeper’s stomach and Voltaire’s fingers, were retouched to make them less obtrusive and poor restorations were reshaped and improved.

Substantial modelling and colour matching skills were required to colour the wax and make replacement dark green drapes. Smaller details such as the border detail on the pelmet were hand painted in red and red tassels were made to hang down the side of the curtains.