Sir Evelyn Wrench Portrait Restoration Completed

The restoration of the historic ROSL art collection continues and we are pleased that when the club reopens we will have the restored portrait of Sir Evelyn Wrench by Oswald Birley back on the wall. 

Simon Gillespie Studio who restored our beloved portrait shared information about the restoration on their Instagram @simon_gillespie_studio;

“The painting had suffered water ingress in the past, causing various structural issues and a bloom which obscured the visibility of the painting. After treatment, the painting has now not only been made secure so that it can be preserved, it is also looking really rather lovely and hopefully will be enjoyed for generations to come! Sir Evelyn Wrench founded the Royal Over-Seas League in 1910 to encourage international friendship and understanding. Wrench said "I vowed I would devote my life to great causes – to the Empire, to my fellows.” He was passionate in his view that the British Empire was a 'brotherhood' composed 'of individual men and women of diverse creed and races living widely apart under differing conditions in different latitudes’. From the start, the club was open to women, and Wrench made it clear that the club aimed to give ‘nations of the Commonwealth a helping hand along the path of freedom and independence’. It was a great pleasure to treat this portrait by a master portraitist of the 20th century.”

 
 
 
 
 
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A very pleasing result on the treatment of a portrait of Sir Evelyn Wrench by Oswald Birley in the collection of the Royal Over-Seas League @roslarts The painting had suffered water ingress in the past, causing various structural issues and a bloom which obscured the visibility of the painting. After treatment, the painting has now not only been made secure so that it can be preserved for generations to come, it is also looking really rather lovely and hopefully will be enjoyed for generations to come! Sir Evelyn Wrench founded the Royal Over-Seas League in 1910 to encourage international friendship and understanding. Wrench said "I vowed I would devote my life to great causes – to the Empire, to my fellows.” He was passionate in his view that the British Empire was a 'brotherhood' composed 'of individual men and women of diverse creed and races living widely apart under differing conditions in different latitudes’. From the start, the club was open to women, and Wrench made it clear that the club aimed to give ‘nations of the Commonwealth a helping hand along the path of freedom and independence’. It was a great pleasure to treat this portrait by a master portraitist of the 20th century. #artconservation #londonclubs #royaloverseasleague #beforeandafter #bloom #loom #londonhistory #britishhistory #localhistory #globalhistory #internationalunderstanding #brotherhood #oswaldbirley #differentbutthesame #culturalheritage

A post shared by Simon Gillespie Studio (@simon_gillespie_studio) on

Thank you to the profeessional team at Simon Gillespie Studio for all their hard work. Using local, experienced, ICON accredited restorers to undertake this delicate work, we are safeguarding our history by glazing and sealing the frame to ensure the portrait maintains its repaired state for many years to come.

Restoration of our valuable art collection is only possible thanks to generous donations from members. If you are interested in supporting our work to restore the art in the club to its former Glory and therefore securing it for many years to come, please email Eilidh McCormick on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out more.

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