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Paintings are composed of several components, made of various materials. Most painting supports are usually made of woven fabric, cotton or linen, or sometimes wooden panels or other materials could be used. The support is customarily prepared for painting by a gesso base, made of chalk powder and a binder that adheres it to the support. This gesso base provides a bright, reflective, non- porous surface ready accept the paint while it protects the linen from the caustic effects of linseed oil used in oil painting. The paint is applied in multiple layers of varying thickness and is frequently followed by varnish. Due to this complexity of components, it is logical to think of a painting as a construction where the different parts react to changes of light, humidity and temperature at a different rate, causing them to flex, twist and shrink against each other. Over time, in addition to oxidization and aging, these stresses cause weaknesses resulting in cracking, delamination and flaking.
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Consolidation and Stabilization All paintings are subject to deterioration due to age, accident, or the incompatibility of materials used by the artist called inherent vice.
Temperature cycling, intrusion of water, accidental mechanical damage, often cause the paint and/or ground layer to detach from the canvas support or wooden panel of a painting. At times artists will apply incompatible paint layers on top of one another causing the flaking of the top layer. In order to prevent further losses, these weaknesses must be addressed by injecting media specific adhesives between the detached layers. This process consolidates and stabilizes the layers. Heat and vacuum are frequently employed to help the binder penetrate the between the minute, often invisible cracks. The treatment is usually performed on the vacuum hot table, or suction table and is followed by cleaning and compensation. |
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Lining paintings, mistakenly referred to as re-lining paintings, is a process of attaching a new layer of support under the old deteriorated linen, or canvas support. The lining provides strength and durability to old, brittle, or torn canvases and is considerably less difficult or risky than transferring, where the old canvas support is completely removed from the gesso ground under the design surface and adhered to a new support surface. If the painting to be lined is torn, the tears need to be closed by weaving, or welding the previously aligned threads together and any planar distortions, distended areas, puckers or bulges need to be brought to plane. To minimize the likelihood of the repaired areas to become visible as ridges, often a dimensionally stable inter-layer of polyester (Mylar/Melinex)or epoxy- resin infused infused glass-fiber board (G10) is put between the old canvas and the new canvas support. This inter-layer relieves the tension on the repaired torn threads of the old canvas and improves the eventual reversibility of the lining process.
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Paintings are usually displayed without the protection of glass, exposed to dust, soot and smoke normally found indoors. Everything that contributes to the soiling of walls also affects the paintings displayed on them. Walls get repainted periodically, yet paintings are left without maintenance for decades. Old resin varnishes tend to yellow and turn dull with age. A frequent home remedy called for rubbing linseed oil or shellac over the surface of paintings to "rejuvenate" the surface. While this process imparted a fresh sheen, it also trapped all the layers of superficial dirt, smoke and soot and after a few of these treatments, the painting became dark and lost any resemblance to what the artist painted. Removing these built-up surface coatings, soil and old discolored varnish, reveals the original layers the artist painted, showing colors, that were difficult to suspect under all the dirt.
Cleaning paintings can be very rewarding by permitting us to appreciate and enjoy the artwork the way it was intended by the artist. See the Essay on cleaning. |
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Varnishes used to protect paint layers from damage have a tendency to yellow with age, hiding the true colors of the painting and the intent of the artist. Below are examples of a painting before and after its soiled varnish were removed. |
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Removal of Over-paint
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Filling and Consolidation Paint loss from an image surface is caused by mechanical damage and flaking paint, and it detracts from the beauty of the painting. Paint compensation fills those areas of loss, restoring your painting to its original condition.
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