An adhesive was introduced beneath all of the areas of lifting paint that were accessible. The very brittle paint was then relaxed with moist warm air and slowly coaxed back down to the support and secured. Even a few wayward pieces that the owner had saved were placed precisely in the void, just like with a jigsaw puzzle. The painting was left under pressure to acclimate before any attempt was made to clean the embedded dirt layer.  

The completed restoration is at right.