Bianca Madden ACR

10 Apr 2025

An independent conservator with over 25 years of experience in conservation projects across the UK and internationally, I specialise in the conservation of wall paintings, and polychrome and gilded surfaces, which can be 3D. I have worked on projects for institutions such as the British Museum, the Benaki Museum Athens, the National Trust, Heritage Malta, Oxford University, and am a contract conservator for the V&A. I have worked on projects in Germany, France, Greece, Turkey and Malta as well as the UK. My experience includes museums, exhibitions, archaeological sites, and multiple wall painting projects in churches and historic buildings across the UK. I also work on smaller pieces in my Oxford-based studio and locally for Oxford colleges.

I have led major conservation projects in Egypt, including for the paintings in the tombs of Menna and Neferrenpet, at the Deir el-Medina, and at Elkab, as well as the polychromy at Khonsu Temple and the wall paintings at the Red Monastery. My work has been carried out for organizations such as the American Research Centre in Egypt, Université libre de Bruxelles, the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale, and Oxford and Yale Universities. I was part of the ICOM CIPEG Expert Group on the Tutankhamun Shrine Project and the project conservator for the British Museum on the EU-funded project “Transforming the Egyptian Museum Cairo”, conserving the wall painting from Tomb 100 at Hierakonpolis—the oldest known Egyptian tomb painting.

More information with details of my projects and practice, work history, and publications, can be found on my website: www.biancamadden.com.

Wadi es Sebua Wall Paintings

Conservation Treatment, Conservation Management, Research and Redisplay

This multidisciplinary project, led by Prof. Martina Ullmann (Ludwig Maximilians University Munich), focused on conserving wall paintings from Amenhotep III’s Temple at Wadi es Sebua, transferred and housed at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, since the 1964 UNESCO rescue operation at the time of the creation of the Aswan High Dam.

Combining historical research, materials analysis (XRF, photogrammetry, RTI, and more), and archival studies, the conservation project assessed deterioration, past interventions, and conservation needs. With a team of conservators from the Egyptian Museum, I conducted examinations, formulated treatment plans, and led the conservation project to stabilise flaking paint, secure substrates, and reduce layers of dirt and surface deposits. The stabilised and conserved panels are now on permanent display in a purpose designed gallery space at the museum.

More information about the project can be found here: https://biancamadden.com/projects/conservation-and-research-historically-transferred-wadi-es-sebua-temple-wall-paintings/

Conservation of Piccotts End Paintings

Conservation Management, Consultancy, Treatment

15/16th Century Wall Paintings at Piccotts End, Hertfordshire

This is an on-going, largely preventive conservation project for this extremely rare scheme of late 15th or early 16th century wall paintings. The programme of monitoring, and treatment which I also undertake as required, follows an episode of historic water damage which had resulted in flaking and delamination of the painted surface.

C19th Painted Scheme, Oxford

Conservation and Restoration Treatment

In late summer 2022, a 19th-century decorative scheme was discovered beneath wallpaper in the Warden’s House at St Edward’s School, Oxford. Dating to the 1860s, it featured hand-painted birds, floral friezes, and stencilled motifs. The paintings had suffered multiple damages, many as a result of having been covered over and therefore invisible. There was also historic water damage in one corner, where an external downpipe (since repaired) had allowed water ingress into the wall, which had resulted in extensive loss of both the paint and plaster.

The conservation work stabilised and repaired water-damaged areas, removed deposited materials, filled losses, and recreated missing decoration. Smaller losses and repairs were reintegrated with the original. The paintings are now stable and secure and can be appreciated by visitors to this historic part of the building.

More details of the project can be found here on my website https://biancamadden.com/projects-portfolio/19th-century-wall-paintings-st-edwards-school-oxford/

Conservation Treatment and Research

Conservation of a Ghiberti Workshop Polychrome Madonna and Child

This project focused on research, examination, stabilisation, and refining previous retouching. The privately owned, recently purchased, sculpture had undergone restoration/conservation before the sale, including varnish removal and retouching. The new owner requested an assessment of these interventions.

Using magnification, raking and UV light, and D-Stretch analysis, I examined added and altered materials, past retouching, and the layer structure of the decoration, while also researching comparable Ghiberti workshop sculptures. Findings showed extensive past redecoration, with much of the original polychromy lost.

My conservation worked followed a minimal intervention approach, preserving the historical layers while balancing the very recent work. Work included surface stabilisation, toning distracting losses, and refining recent retouching with reference to earlier layers and other versions of the sculpture.

Consultancy, Research and Advisory Support

Complimentary conservation services I provide cover advisory support, research, condition surveys, risk assessments, and project management.

Notable projects of this nature include condition surveys at Deir el-Medina (Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale) and Elkab (Oxford University). At Khonsu Temple, I undertook research, assessment and project setup for the conservation of architectural polychromy, as well as practical conservation and team management. Recent work at the Merenptah Tunnel, Abydos (American Research Centre/World Monuments Fund), involved research and condition assessments. More details of these and many other projects can be found on my website: biancamadden.com.

The Wadi es Sebua panels on permanent display following the conservation work

The 1960s backing systems, though stable and supportive, required modifications for redisplay. Conservation treatment was essential to stabilise the paintings for exhibition. This included securing lifting and flaking paint, stabilising the original mud plaster substrate, and carefully removing dirt and surface deposits accumulated from years of storage in the museum basement.

Details of the history of the paintings, and the conservation work, displayed at the museum

Information panels at the Egyptian Museum detail both the history of the paintings, the transfer and the conservation work. More details on the project can be found here: https://biancamadden.com/projects/conservation-and-research-historically-transferred-wadi-es-sebua-temple-wall-paintings/

The upper register of paintings at Piccotts End

Discovered in 1953 beneath wallpaper and limewash, the 15/16th century Piccotts End wall paintings feature seven panels of biblical figures and scenes against a rich foliate backdrop. The scheme is executed on a plaster and timber internal wall in a typical palette of the period, using a water-based medium. The scheme had suffered flaking due to historic water ingress.

The lower register of paintings at Piccotts End

Flaking was first identified during a conservation survey, which led to external work to address water ingress. Two conservation campaigns followed, focussed on mapping and stabilising the affected areas. Since then, I have conducted annual monitoring to assess vulnerabilities, treat issues, and recommend further action. Any new flaking (increasingly rarely found) is treated and mapped to inform the monitoring.

St Catherine (Piccotts End), during the uncovering process

In addition to the stabilisation work I have also undertaken the removal of some remaining covering limewash from the two lower panels. This improves their clarity and reading and gives better visual cohesion between the paintings of the lower register and those of the register above.

Detail of the damage to the painted scheme at St Edwards before conservation

Details of an area of the hand painted frieze before conservation work. The c19th decoration was covered by a build-up of wallpaper paste and residues, smears of modern materials, as well as cracks, holes, cut marks and abrasions.

A section of the St Edwards painted scheme after conservation

The conservation of this c19th scheme focused on the stabilisation and repair an area of water-damage, removing/reducing deposited materials from the decorative surfaces, filling holes and losses, and recreating the lost areas of decoration. Smaller areas of loss and new fills were retouched to reintegrate them with the original decoration.

Madonna and Child before and after conservation

This privately owned piece had had a history of removal and redecoration of the decorative layers. Conservation work was minimal. It focused on research, stabilisation of the painted layers and allowing original surfaces to read.

During conservation: fixing, filling and adjusting previous retouching

Stabilisation of the decorative layer, including filling and toning out distracting losses. The recent retouching was adjusted, working under magnification, and using UV light, as necessary, to reestablish the position of the original eyebrows on the Madonna, and the definition of the Child’s eyes, as possible. Light retouching was undertaken in these areas using information from retained evidence of earlier layers and from other versions of the sculpture.

The Court Portico and Khonsu Temple during conservation work

This has been a multi season project on the painted surfaces at Khonsu Temple. My work has involved set up and running of the practical part of the work on the polychromy, background research and documentation of each phase. A publication dedicated to the conservation at Khonsu is forthcoming, for which I have contributed a chapter on the polychromy.

Overview of the Osireion at Abydos

Carved into Esna shale and built with limestone and sandstone the Merenptah Tunnel at the Osireion features painted and carved scenes from the afterlife. My work involved evaluating the condition of the decoration, identifying original materials, assessing deterioration factors, and conducting small treatment tests. This information was used to formulate an initial conservation treatment proposal for the surfaces within the tunnel.

Theban Tomb 45 Detail of ancient reuse with painting over previous graffiti

TT45 in the Valley of the Nobles is a remarkable tomb with 18th Dynasty decoration, later adapted and added to during the Ramesside period. This included decorating a previously undecorated area, which already had historic graffiti. I have been working on the conservation of the tomb over several years, stabilising plaster and paint layers, removing surface deposits, and addressing repairs to provide support to the original plasters.

Before and after conservation Gilbert Spencer wall paintings, Balliol College, Oxford

Following a water leak affecting Gilbert Spencer’s 1930s wall paintings at Holywell Manor, Balliol College, I carried out conservation treatment. With the leak resolved and the walls dry, my work focused on stabilising the damaged area and carefully retouching the lost sections to restore visual integrity.

Detail before and after conservation, eighteenth century panels, Ditchley Park

These panels from Ditchley Park, Oxfordshire had previous background overpainting, as well as now discoloured old retouching. Elements of the carving were also loose and painted layers flaking. My role was to conserve the existing decoration, reducing the discoloured overpaint, secure elements and layers and recreate the original background colour – using evidence from cross section analysis, and pockets of still exposed original - in a conservation grade, and reversible medium.

Biography

Bianca Madden

I trained in the conservation of plaster, stone, wood, and polychrome surfaces at the City & Guilds of London Art School before undertaking further study in Italy under a Leonardo da Vinci grant, with a conservator in Urbino. In addition, I hold an MSc in Sustainable Heritage from University College London, which focused on conservation methodologies, policies, and practices across sites, built heritage, and collections.

Since 1998, I have worked both independently and in collaboration with leading professionals and institutions. My projects span the practical conservation of polychrome and gilded surfaces, multiple wall painting projects, project management, consultancy and conservation for exhibition and redisplay.

Client Testimonials

Precise, ethical, patient, and good-humoured. All necessary qualities for a wall-paintings conservator working in Egypt. Bianca Madden has all these requirements and more, and it has been a pleasure to work with her on multiple projects here since 1999. Most recently she has been a mainstay of the American Research Center in Egypt’s conservation work at the Temple of Khonsu in Karnak and the Osireion at Abydos, and I look forward to continuing this professional relationship for years to come.

Dr. Nicholas Warner RIBA
Director of Cultural Heritage Projects, American Research Center in Egypt

Bianca Madden worked on several important conservation projects for the Oxford Conservation Consortium. This included treatment of a 17th-century polychrome sculpture, a 19th-century pyrographic altarpiece, and highly 16th-century carved and painted panelling in a college Dining Hall. The latter involved micro paint sampling to establish the sequence of painting and determine the original paint survival. This analysis informed a careful approach to consolidation and cleaning, resulting in a stabilised and sensitively cleaned relief. All these objects were of great significance to the colleges and required a careful and rigorous approach. Bianca’s experience, judgement, sensitivity to the material, and ability to discuss and articulate the aims of treatment were crucial to the outstanding success of the work.

Jane Eagan ACR FIIC
Head of Conservation (retired), Oxford Conservation Consortium

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