A Paintings Conservation Studio
Montrose Fine Art Conservation is a private practice founded by Gillian Stewart Quinn, a paintings conservator with over 25 years of experience working across museums, private collections, and historic sites in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe.
Gillian brings the same rigorous standards she developed treating masterworks at the Walters Art Museum and the Phillips Collection to every project she undertakes — whether that’s a treasured family heirloom, a large-scale mural in a university hall, or medieval decorative painting on the walls of a Scottish castle. Her practice spans early Italian devotional works to mid-20th century modern paintings, and her treatments are grounded in ongoing scientific research, thorough documentation, and a deep respect for the artist’s original intent.
Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Montrose Fine Art Conservation serves institutional and private clients throughout the Baltimore–Washington corridor and beyond.
Museum Collections
Gillian has treated and conducted technical research on paintings ranging from 15th-century Italian altarpieces to modern and contemporary. As a former Paintings and Exhibitions Conservator at the Walters Art Museum, and her work at the Phillips Collection, she brings institutional-level rigor to every treatment — including scientific examination, structural stabilization, aesthetic restoration, and full condition documentation.
Private Collections
Whether a painting has been damaged by age, environment, or improper restoration, Gillian works closely with private collectors to assess, stabilize, and restore works with sensitivity to their history and value. Treatments are always reversible, fully documented, and tailored to the client’s goals.
Historic Buildings & Murals
In addition to collections, we work on-site on architectural paintings, murals, historic wallpaper, and decorative interiors. Projects range from a seven-mural campaign at Johns Hopkins’ Shriver Hall to the famous alligator mural on Baltimore’s 29th street bridge. Conserving medieval painted ceilings at Crathes Castle, Scotland and a historical plantation in Tennesee. Whether the challenge is a historic stencil scheme or a large-scale public art, Gillian brings the same methodical approach developed over decades.
Our environment is a living archive that continues to shape our culture. Through ethical practice and dedicated stewardship, we work to ensure that what has endured for generations continues to thrive for generations to come.
Gillian Quinn Bio
Gillian trained at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, earning a Master’s degree in Conservation of Fine Art (Paintings) with Distinction, and holds a BA in Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee. Her career spans staff positions at the Walters Art Museum and the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, as well as a two-year appointment with Historic Scotland, where she treated medieval painted ceilings, 12th-century plaster, and architectural interiors from Edinburgh to Stirling.
She founded Montrose Fine Art Conservation in 2011. Institutional clients have included Johns Hopkins University, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino, The British Embassy in Washington DC, and the Walters Art Museum. She is a member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and has presented research at international venues including ICOM-CC Triennial meetings in Rio de Janeiro and Valencia.
Our philosophy and practice is informed by our experience at the following:
