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Caring
for your Paintings (some helpful guidelines for Gerrards Cross
households.)
Paintings may be objects of great beauty or of historical
importance, providing an important cultural link with the past. They
may have great monetary or sentimental value to their
owners. Whatever the case, paintings are fragile creations that
require special care to assure their continued preservation.
Paintings consist of various layers. The paint is applied to a
support, typically canvas or wood, which is first primed with a
glue-sizing and/or ground layer. Traditional paintings are finished
with a coat of varnish. Contemporary paintings, naive, or folk art
may not have a ground layer or varnish coating. Paintings that do
not have all of the traditional layers may be more fragile and
susceptible to change or damage. The paint layers can be made of
pigments in oil, acrylic (or other synthetics), encaustic (wax),
tempera (egg), distemper (glue), casein (milk), gouache (plant gum),
or a mixture of media. The paint can be applied on a wide variety of
supports. Although the most common are canvas and wood, other
supports include paper, cardboard, pressed board, artist's board,
copper, ivory, glass, plaster, and stone. Paintings on canvas are
usually stretched over an auxiliary wood support. An adjustable
support is called a stretcher; a support with fixed corners is
called a strainer.
Paintings change over time. Some inevitable results of aging,
such as increased transparency of oil paint or the appearance of
certain types of cracks, do not threaten the stability of a painting
and may not always be considered damage. One of the most common
signs of age is a darkened or yellowed surface caused by accumulated
grime or discoloured varnish. When a varnish becomes so discoloured
that it obscures the artist's intended colours and the balance of
lights and darks, it usually can be removed by a handyman, but
some evidence of aging is to be expected and should be accepted.
However, when structural damages occur in a painting such as tears,
flaking paint, cracks with lifting edges, or mould, consult a
handyman to decide on a future course of treatment for your
painting.
MAINTAINING A SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT
It is
important to maintain a proper environment for your paintings. The
structural components of a painting expand and contract in different
ways as the surrounding temperature and humidity fluctuate. For
example, the flexible canvas may become slack or taut in a changing
environment, while the more brittle paint may crack, curl, or loosen
its attachment to the underlying layers. If a painting could be
maintained in an optimum environment, in one location at a constant
temperature and humidity level, many of the problems requiring the
services of a paintings handyman could be prevented.
Paintings generally do well in environmental conditions that are
comfortable for people, with relative humidity levels between 40 and
60 percent. Environmental guidelines have been developed for
different types of materials. Paintings on canvas may react more
quickly to rising and falling humidity levels than paintings on wood
panels, but the dimensional changes that can occur in a wood panel
can cause more structural damage. Owners of panel paintings should
be particularly conscientious about avoiding unusually low or high
relative humidity and temperatures to prevent warping, splitting, or
breaking of the wood. Museums strive to maintain constant
temperature and humidity levels for works of art, but even with
expensive environmental control systems this task can be difficult.
In most cases, gradual seasonal changes and small fluctuations are
less harmful than large environmental fluctuations. Avoiding large
fluctuations is very important. For example, a painting stored in
what would generally be considered poor conditions (such as a cold,
damp castle in England) may remain structurally secure for
centuries, but begin to deteriorate rapidly if moved into "stable"
museum conditions simply because of the extreme change in its
environment.
One of the simplest and most important preservation steps you can
take is have protective backing board attached to paintings. A
Fome-Cor (or archival cardboard backing) screwed to the reverse of a
painting will slow environmental exchange through a canvas, keep out
dust and foreign objects, and protect against damage during
handling. Be sure that the backing board covers the entire back of
the picture; do not leave air vent holes, which can cause localized
environmental conditions and lead to cracks in paint. The backing
board should be attached to the reverse of the stretcher or
strainer, not to the frame. Have a handyman or reputable framer
attach it for you.
DISPLAYING PAINTINGS
The display of paintings requires careful consideration. Direct
sunlight can cause fading of certain pigments, increased yellowing
of varnish, and excessive heat on the painting surface. It is best
to exhibit paintings on dividing walls within a building rather than
on perimeter walls where temperature fluctuations will be greater
and condensation can occur. If paintings are placed on un-insulated
exterior walls, it may help to place small rubber spacers on the
back of the frame to increase air circulation.
Although a fireplace is often a focal spot for a room, a painting
displayed above a mantel will be exposed to soot, heat, and
environmental extremes. Hanging paintings above heating and air
conditioning vents or in bathrooms with tubs or showers is also
inadvisable because the rapid environmental fluctuations will be
harmful. Select a safe place away from high traffic and seating
areas.
When lighting paintings, use indirect lighting. Lights that
attach to the top of the frame and hang over the picture can be
dangerous. These lights cast a harsh glare, illuminate and heat the
painting unevenly, and can fall into the artwork causing burns or
tears. Indirect sunlight, recessed lighting, or ceiling-mounted
spotlights are best for home installations. Halogen lamps are
increasingly popular, but halogen bulbs emit high levels of
ultraviolet light (the part of the spectrum that is damaging to
artworks) and should be fitted with an ultraviolet filter when used
near light-sensitive materials. These bulbs also have been known to
explode and may pose a fire hazard. Tungsten lamps may be preferable
for home lighting.
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