When John Sieverdink was born on July 17th 1931, his father Henry John Sieverdink was working with the established art restorers William Holder and William Vallance. They had the general responsibility for the National Gallery collection. Henry later set up business for himself restoring fine art paintings, and so John grew up with art restoration at the very centre of his life. It’s therefore not surprising that after his apprenticeship in restoration, John worked with his father and other leading restorers for a while, before setting up for himself. He married Barbara in 1954 and they raised an adopted daughter, Alison, and later their granddaughter, Donna.

John specialised in 16th – 19th Century paintings becoming the ‘go to’ man for opinion on Gainsborough’s work for many of the world’s leading galleries and auction houses, including regulars Christies, Agnews, Colnaghi and Arnold Wiggins & Sons. Peter Gatacre began a lifetime association with John when he was managing director of Madame Tussauds and became one of John’s principal clients.

Reading through John’s meticulously kept work book is akin to reading a who’s who of 17th – 20th century artists, Van Dyk, Vermeer, Manet, Constable, Munnings, Stubbs, Lucien Freud, Barbara Hepworth, Rubens, Hogarth, Sartorius, Turner, Gainsborough, the list goes on and on; so many masterpieces that have needed John’s gentle ministrations. John’s restorations are now hanging in Galleries around the world; Koryama, the Tate, the Met, MoMa, the Royal collection, Uffizi, the V&A and many others too numerous to name.

John’s love of these masters and of all things of beauty led him to become a collector himself. Starting off like so many boys he began with stamps, and later his love of Seago’s work set him off on a journey that was to last a lifetime. Long before ‘affordable art’ became a buzzword, John, with a limited budget, searched out and bought objects he found beautiful; Eastern Ceramics, Murano glass, 17th century engravings, Western ceramics, English and American china, glass, furniture, books, and paintings.

It’s an interesting thought that although his work is now hanging in so many collections around the world, no one knows they are in part, his work. But that is the lot of a restorer, to remain unknown, anonymous. And that is exactly as John would have wanted it, he was a gentle, modest man who made light of his work. Quite often visitors to his home would be asked to walk carefully past, and not touch the Gainsborough or Turner leaning against the wall waiting for John to restore it to life; sometimes visitors would be lucky enough to watch him repaint, re-varnish and more wonderfully remove old dark varnish and reveal the wonders beneath.

Like many picture restorers, John was occasionally asked why, with his skill and understanding, he didn’t also paint. He would quietly point at a picture hanging in his dining room, the only picture he ever painted. “That’s why” he would simply reply.

John died in 2009 but the breadth of his collecting has only recently come to light, some things hidden away for years. He would have been proud, extremely flattered, and perhaps a little embarrassed, at the attention he is getting, and he would have been touched at the care his nieces, Nicky and Cathie have taken in discovering their uncle’s incredible backstory and bringing it all together with the help of Lee Young of Dore and Rees.

John was so self-effacing that no matter how proud he was, he probably wouldn’t have told anyone about an auction of his collection taking place.

Here is a small excerpt from John’s letters; his condition report on a well-known portrait by Gainsborough for a leading London gallery, who had purchased it for a client in July 1990:

‘Have not seen a Gainsborough in a worse condition by a long way. Face gone. Chest very bad indeed. Spandrels in a dreadful state. Background very bad. Dress only passable area.

Much restoration. Looked fair but very unsatisfactory job as far as I was concerned’

It is now in a private collection and is available as a very popular art print around the world.

Written by a close family member

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