Are Your Paintings Aging Well?

A work of fine art can last for centuries, and continue to be viewed in the same state the artist intended. While the nature of art is such that it is composed of materials subject to age, deterioration and damage, a properly cared for picture can long outlast its creator, and be enjoyed by many generations to come. There are preventative measures that may be taken by a collector or museum to ensure the longevity of a work of art, but sometimes it is necessary to take remedial action in order to preserve a fine painting. The role of a conservator is to preserve the legacy of the past and ensure that a work’s integrity will endure.

A work of art must be treated carefully, and there are steps that may be taken to protect it from potential harm. Fine art should not be stored in damp or humid places such as attics or basements. It should be kept out of direct sunlight, as the UV rays may cause pigments or paper to fade or discolour. Works on paper should be properly framed, using UV resistant glass, archival matte and backing.

Despite these preventative measures, there are a number of problems that a conservator can remedy. The most common, are the accumulation of surface dirt, and the discolouration of varnish. In addition to the unavoidable build up of dust and dirt particles over the years, smoke or soot can heavily obscure an image. A painting that has been housed in the collection of a smoker will collect nicotine deposits on its surface. Religious paintings hung in churches where incense and candles are burned, eventually collect a layer of soot, and this needs to be removed. Surface grime is removed with swabs of cotton and a mild detergent solution, which is carefully mixed by a discerning conservator.

Traditional varnishes are organic, and therefore subject to change over time. These protective coatings were originally clear, but being organic and unstable, they turn yellow or greenish with age. The old varnish should be removed, so that a synthetic non-yellowing varnish may be applied. The removal process is a matter of the utmost delicacy, as over-cleaning by amateurs can permanently damage the painting. The precise science of mixing a solvent solution, which will remove the old varnish without damaging subsequent paint layers, is the most sensitive aspect of this restorative process.

There are however, more serious restoration processes than cleaning and varnish removal. “Half the work we do is repairing physical damage such as fire, water and impact”, says Odon Wagner, a conservator trained in Vienna and director of Odon Wagner Gallery in Toronto. Odon Wagner employs a team of professionally trained restorers, who have worked in museums across Canada and Europe.

In one case handled by Wagner, a client saw the utter transformation of a painting by Dutch artist Issac van Oosten. The 17th century painting, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden had sustained significant damage and was in danger of further degeneration. Changes in humidity had caused the oak wood support to expand and contract drastically over the centuries, which resulted in the blistering, flaking and actual loss of paint layers. In addition, the aged varnish was heavily discoloured.

After impregnating the oak backing with a resin and wax mixture, the painstaking three-month process of in-painting the thousands of tiny cracks and areas of major loss began. There are specific standards to be upheld when restoring a work of fine art, and failure to follow these standards can result in a work that has been either over-cleaned or over-painted. The Odon Wagner conservators use the academic approach of in-painting (as opposed to over-painting), a process which entails the use of fine brushes to paint hundreds of tiny dots in areas where the original paint is missing.

Another industry standard is that the work done to restore a painting should always be reversible. For example, when Wagner receives a painting that requires re-lining for additional support, he uses a heat-activated resin adhesive. This forms a strong bond between the original canvas and its new lining layer, but ensures that it can be easily removed, should it be necessary in future restoration efforts.

There are a variety of reasons to restore works of art. It is an investment that preserves the value of an artwork by ensuring its stability. But there are aesthetic reasons as well. For example, old varnish has a flattening effect on a picture, and its removal restores a painting’s sense of illusionistic space. Atmospheric perspective depends on subtle shifts of colour value and temperature in order to create the effect of deep space. While not quite as degrading to the foreground elements of a picture, yellowing varnish particularly affects the blues and whites used to create distance. Restoration not only preserves the integrity and lifespan of an artwork, it also enhances the viewer’s aesthetic experience by returning the painting to its original state, as dictated by the artist’s intentions.

Laura Peturson
Curator, Odon Wagner Gallery