Restoration Flashcards
Purpose of remedial actions
Taken to slow down the deterioration of artworks
Possible remedial treatments
- Bleaching paper that has acid damage or staining
- Secure flaking paint or fungicidal treatment to remove mould or presence of insects in wood
- Electrolytic treatment to stop corrosion of metals
- Repairing the structure of the artworks (may not be visible)
- Reline old canvas’ by gluing new canvas under original works
- Mounting boards replaced with acid-free ones
- Touching up or repainting parts of a painting (called in-painting)
Restoration (misc. info)
- Galleries may contact artist to find out how the artist would like their artwork cared for and how it is to be displayed (if alive)
- Inspections are made through visual eye to x-ray, infrared or other radiation examination as well as complex chemical analysis
- Once restoration is determined, a stabilising treatment or restoration decision is made (may entail the cleaning of the work)
Restoration and Preservation of artworks
- Many public galleries now have a policy when aquiring new artworks for their collection
- Effective restoration is dependent on the conservators understanding of the artwork
- Restorer needs to apply same brushstroke technique to match the artist
- Conserver works closely with director, curator, consultants and art historians throughout process to determine which practices are necessary and appropriate on a case-by-case basis
- Ethical boundaries when a work is so poorly damaged that restoring it would take away the originality of the work where the work would no longer be as authentic as the original
- examination stage can reveal that an object is a fake or fraud
Painting - Dust and dirt
- Paintings end to collect and store particles of dirt and dust which settle int the paintings stretcher arms, on the surface of the painting and between the back of the canvas surface and stretcher bars
- Dust is always in the air and may come from immediate environment where the painting is stored or exhibited
- When dirt settles it becomes engrained into the textural elements on the painting surface and give the painting a matte/dull finish
- Dust/dirt are removed by gently brushing the canvas support and the timber stretcher arms, professional conservators also use a vacuum to aid in the removal of these particles
Painting - Moisture
- Moisture contained within a canvas support can create lasting damage to a painting so RH and stable temperatures are vital to the conservation of paintings
- Moisture is usually created by a change in temperature, rapid and inconsistent changes in temperature create moisture damage over time to the support
- The material of painted linen and cotton respond different to environmental damage than the timber in the stretcher arms that hold the canvas support together
- The timber structures will shift when under pressure through moisture and the canvas surface itself may react to moisture both on the painted surface and underneath in the fibres of the canvas. This alters the tightness/stiffness of the canvas and the dimensions of the work.
- If a painting remains in an unstable environment, substantial cracking on the painting will occur. The layers of paint eventually respond by absorbing the moisture into the layers of the paint and fibres, resulting in lifting (cracking)
Painting - Tented paint
Raised pieces of dries paint from a canvas support are sometimes called ‘tented paint’ because they resemble the shape of a small tent. Pieces of dry paint lift from the surface into peaks or curls and become a flake that falls away from the canvas support.
Painting - Cupping
This usually happens when the canvas support has shrunk. The paint becomes cracked at the edges and particles become concave flakes. This is when the paint surface has lost its binding agent and becomes brittle.
Painting - Consolidant
The conservator will attempt to stop the cupping process by adding a replacement binder to the paint - this material is called consolidant. The consolidant will re-adhere the paint to the canvas support
Painting - Putty
A paint layer may also be conserved using a filler such as putty, which is a combination of the filler and binding agent. Putty is often tinted using appropriate pigments, then applied to the painting by blending into the surrounding layers. Slowly the conservator will add further retouching layer of paint over the fill. Fine brustrokes are applied to ensure the fresh paint and original match.
Painting - Varnish
Helps protect the painted surface and enhances the colour and texture of the surface. Over time the varnish becomes more yellow and causes colours to distort and vary the tonal qualities in the painting. This means that the painting doesn’t represent the artist’s true intentions of the work.
Solvents are used to remove the yellow stains, hoever this poses a threat as the chemicals can bleach the colours of the work. Thorough investigation takes place into the paint/pigment properties within individual artworks to see if this action is appropriate
Painting - Structural treatments
If the support is punctured or has a tear in the canvas support fibre, the conservator no longer applies a second lining to the damaged work. Instead, they use thread collected from the edges of the canvas or from an old fabric of a similar type.
A microscope called a ‘stereo-binocular’ is used to guide the conservator in connecting the original threads to the added threads with an adhesive before reweaving.
Complex and delicate procedure
Painting - Environmental
- Stable atmospheric environment is essential for the long-term preservation of paintings and frames
- Display and storage areas should be maintained at an optimum RH and temperature
- Paintings should never be hung under or near any source of heat, including heating vents and radiators
- Inappropriate RH levels can lead to serious damage such as surface deformations from the tightening or slackening of a canvas, expansion or shrinkage, opening of joins, or the formations of cracks or slits in wood supports and flaking of the paint layer.
- Heat can cause distortion of the paint layer and flaking
- Sudden changes in temperature may cause condensation on the surface of a painting
Painting - Lighting
- Recommended LUX levels between 150-250
- High light level can cause deterioration of a wide variety of materials including pigments, binding media such as oils and acrylics, and natural and synthetic varnishes. At all times, paintings much be protected from direct sunlight and from the radiant heat od artificial light
Painting - Storage
- Paintings in storage should be hung on secure racks.
- Works that have exposed areas of fabric support and delicate, unvarnished surfaces, should always be covered in storage with smooth acid-free paper to protect from abrasion and surface dirt.
- In storage there should be excellent air circulation to avoid mould.
- Routine cleaning should take place regularly
- Paintings should not be stored near passageways
Painting - Handling and moving
- Should be moved in an upright position and usually in a specially made wooden crate.
- Before moving, the frame is thoroughly checked over to ensure it is secure with the stretcher arms securely fixed together.
- External screws, tacks, hooks and hanging wire can obstruct handling of a painting.
- Paintings should be carried from the base of the work.
- When placed in the gallery to climatise on foam blocks to support the weight in its surrounding movements.
- When being hung, all wires and fixtures as well as display wall or surface must be strong enough to bear the weight.
Conservation steps - NGV
- Stabilisation
- Cleaning
- Repair
- Restoration
- Reattachment
- Frame Treatment
