The journey of Vive L'Empereur from the Art Gallery of NSW to the University of Canberra happened at the beginning of March. Collaboration between the packing and conservation departments at the Gallery occurred prior to this to formulate a satisfactory way to transport the painting. The product of this effort was the construction of a huge cylindrical arch-shaped ‘forma’ that the painting was rolled onto. The shape of this design meant that the painting could be moved through doors, into elevators and fit into the back of the truck without stressing the delicate and, in some areas, very fragile paint layer.

When the painting arrived at the University of Canberra it was laid, face down, onto a large table with the help of a team of students. Documentation of the condition of the back of the canvas was started so that a proposal for the first stages of treatment could be devised. Discussion between interns and supervisors decided on a course of treatment that would enable the painting to be put under tension in order to stand it upright for work on the front.

Structural work on the painting's embrittled edges was the most immediate concern. After the painting was brush cleaned with the aid of a vacuum, canvas strips that had been sewn onto the sides of the painting were removed. These had probably been originally added to give extra strength to the tacking margins, but were now in a badly deteriorated state and obstructing repair of the support.

The crumpled margins of the painting were then relaxed and work began to repair the many tears and holes caused by previous attachment to stretchers. While the holes in the painting were reinforced with fine polyester patches, the long tears and tattered corners represented more of a structural liability. Individual threads were made to bridge the tears and missing areas of canvas.

The next stage of the treatment was to address the vast amount of wax-resin that had been poured onto the back of the painting, during previous restoration in an effort to stop the paint from falling off where water damage had occurred. The caked on wax was now the cause of many of the unsightly undulations in the canvas. Due to the brittleness of the wax it was decided that the safest way to remove the majority of the wax would be to carefully chip it off with surgical scalpels. This preliminary step removed a lot of bulk from the area, aimed at making the later flattening of the painting a lot easier.

A reversible 'strip lining' is currently being attached to the reinforced tacking margins. This involves adhering long lengths of polyester sailcloth along the back of all four tacking edges of the painting. These strips have been made so they can be attached to a loom designed to stretch out the painting when stood upright. When this stage is complete the painting will be ready for work to begin on the painted image.