Sarah Cove ACR, FIIC, FBAPCR, is an Accredited conservator-restorer of easel paintings and frames based in Falmouth, Cornwall.
With over 35 years of experience in London and SE England, she relocated to Cornwall in 2019 but continues to work regularly in London and the Southeast. Her studio offers museum-standard conservation treatments for easel paintings and historic frames, ranging from major studio-based projects to condition surveys and preventive conservation work, both in the studio and on-site. Clients include heritage collections, historic trusts, and private owners.
Conservation Treatments
Sarah Cove ACR provides museum-quality conservation for easel paintings on canvas, panel, and board from c.1500 to the present. Treatments include cleaning, varnish removal and replacement, tear repairs, lining, structural reinforcement, infilling, and retouching. She specialises in British portraiture and landscapes, particularly from the Georgian, Victorian, and early modern periods. All interventions are fully documented and carried out in accordance with international ethical standards.
Preventive Conservation
Preventive conservation services include full condition assessments, environmental surveys, and strategic care planning for private collectors, museums, and historic houses. Sarah advises on storage, display conditions, pest management, emergency planning, and transport. She offers tailored conservation management reports, helping clients prioritise needs, plan budgets, and secure funding for phased treatment or collections care.
Framing & Display
Sarah offers expert advice on appropriate period and aesthetic framing, from gilded and carved historical frames to discreet modern options. She works with specialist frame makers to design bespoke reproduction frames and also conserves historic frames where appropriate. Services include frame fitting, mounting, and museum-grade glazing. Each painting is presented to professional standards for safe display in a heritage or domestic setting.
Education & Outreach
A sought-after speaker, Sarah delivers illustrated lectures, seminars, and workshops on painting conservation, technical art history, and John Constable’s materials and techniques. She is an accredited lecturer for The Arts Society and has presented internationally. Audiences include professional conservators, art historians, student groups, and the general public. She also mentors early-career conservators and provides CPD training sessions.
Research & Consultancy
Sarah is a leading authority on the painting techniques of John Constable, having founded the Constable Research Project. She provides scholarly expertise and technical insights for curators, collectors, museums, and auction houses. Her consultancy includes attribution support, materials analysis coordination, and exhibition preparation. She contributes to publications, catalogues, and media, combining scientific knowledge with art historical insight.
Biography
Sarah Cove ACR
Sarah Cove ACR, FIIC, FBAPCR, is an Accredited conservator-restorer with over 35 years of experience in easel paintings and frames. Based in Falmouth, Cornwall, she specialises in British art from c.1500 to the present.
Client testimonials
We have had a productive working relationship with Sarah Cove for over a decade. Her professional advice and guidance has helped shape our conservation strategy, and the work she has undertaken – including the conservation of several large and historically significant paintings – has been exemplary and to the highest museum standards. She works with great care and sensitivity to both object and context, and we highly value her contributions.
Mrs S.E.P. Threader BEng HonDSc CEng FICE
Bridge Clerk (CEO), Rochester Bridge Trust
Sarah’s conservation work on the collection from the old Mineral Water Hospital has been transformational. The 18th-century paintings, once darkened, damaged and poorly presented, are now bright, secure and beautifully conserved. Her professional knowledge, attention to detail, and ability to communicate complex processes with clarity made her an outstanding partner for this important heritage project. The patients and staff have responded with joy and admiration.
Hetty Dupays MFA AMRSPH
Art & Design Programme Manager, Art at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Sarah Cove’s dual expertise as a conservator and technical art historian is exceptional. Her insights into painting structure and materials have brought a new dimension to the understanding of British art, especially the work of Constable. She combines scientific rigour with a deep sensitivity to the artwork’s aesthetic and historical value. Her consultancy work is always thorough, enlightening, and professionally delivered.
Dr James Hall
Art historian and author