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restorations common interventions
restorations common interventions | The most common Interventions |
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Consolidation: The consolidation is done either locally or completely. Depending on the condition of the artwork it is sometimes necessary before transport or cleaning. Cleaning: Cleaning is the most difficult and delicate operation in the restoration process . Therefore it should only be done by a professional restorer ! Too many artworks have been partially or totally destroyed by inappropriate cleaning attempts.    The painting is part of a collection owned by a strong smoker. The discoloration is due to the deposits of cigarette smoke. Flattening: Most old or accidented canvas paintings are undulated, deformed, have dents or « bellies », are torn, or ripped with more or less canvas loss, or are simply without tension. These problems are solved by exposing the dismounted painting in a controlled humidity chamber and afterwards slowly drying it on a lower pressure table. Lining: Lining means to adhere the original, weakened or accidented canvas to a new one. This operation should never be done systematically but avoided whenever possible. In case of important canvas loss or cracks the old canvas is glued on to a polyester one with a touch-bond adhesive. Polyester has the advantage of not reacting to humidity changes and resisting more than four times longer to the ageing process than a natural fiber. For example hemp or linen fibers loose half of their resistence every 12 years, polyester only every 50 years. If the client wishes a natural fiber lining for esthetic reasons, the linen is added in the back of the polyester. The old fashioned way of gluing patches on the back of paintings in order to consolidate holes or cracks is disregarded by any serious restorer, as these patches always end up marking the surface of the painting. Marouflage: This technique consists of adhering a flexible material, such as canvas, paper leather… onto a rigid support such as a wall, a wooden or honeycomb panel,… technique used mostly for fragile and tall dimensions. Filling: Any hole or paintloss needs to be filled in before touch-up. The filling consists in levelling the height differences and in imitating the surrounding surface.Usually a water based reversible putty is used, but for filling cracks in wooden sculptures or paintlosses on church banners, elastomer are used. In this case a « barrier coat » guarantees for reversability. Backing: Any easel painting on canvas leaving my lab has a protection on its back. If there is a signature or other important inscription I use a transparent backing . It is an important element for the longevity of a painting, protecting it from dust and debris, condensation and minor transportation or handling accidents. |