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his is the first of several articles about

paintings, although each will be

interspersed among articles about art on

paper, sculpture and other objects,

particularly outdoor sculpture.

Most people in the art world refer to paintings

as two-dimensional objects. For the conservator, they

are as three-dimensional as any other object for the

reason that they are composed of layers, beginningwith the support (generally the stretcher, strainer,

wood, or metal support, or artists board of some

variety); a secondary support (usually canvas or other

fabric); the ground layer (if there is one); the paint

layer, singular or multiple; and often a surface

coating (varnish, etc.). Artists, being artists and

wishing to confuse those of us in the mortal world

will add or delete an infinite variety of materials and

objects to paintings, such as Julien Schnabels

crockery. Each poses diverse and sometimes unique

challenges for conservators, because each can develop

its own particular problems and issues. As an example,

Schnabels crockery keeps falling off his paintings,

so he keeps space in a New York storage facilitywhere he reattaches them. So much is written

elsewhere about materials and structure of paintings

that we will move to other arenas. However, the

condition and integrity of each of these materials

and layers is critical to the paintings health.

Ignoring or prolonging the restoration of any of

them can lead to massive damage.

Conservators and others in the art world use the

terms traditional and contemporary, but to

conservators, these are neither art periods nor date

driven. Generally, we refer to them categorically:

traditional implies the artist used traditional

painting techniques, some of which date to the

fourteenth century and are still in common use;

contemporary indicates the artist used techniques

and materials not found in traditional painting

construction. Although there are many specific

exceptions to the forgoing, a new universe of

twentieth century materials is available and artistsuse them innovatively, with abandon, and in fresh

ways. Therefore, many of todays most highly sought

after contemporary artists are actually traditionalists

in techniques and material. While experimentation

with new technologies and materials is exciting, it

cannot be forgotten that most have not been

subjected to the sheer physical process of aging,

and we are finding many are irrecoverably failing.

Contrary to popular belief, there is not an answer for

every problem. As a friend once said, Twentieth

century art may well be known by what little is left.

Nevertheless, whether traditional or

contemporary, damage in paintings stems from

sources that are tedious in technical description,

but are usually evident when inspecting for damage.

An excellent, highly illustrated guide to types of

damage and their conservation and restoration is at

www.fine-artsconservancy.com.

Collectors are ideally situated to be the primary

observer of emerging problems. The best way to

inspect paintings is to stand to one side or crouch

down underneath with light reflecting off its surface.

Move around so you see the entire surface in

reflected light. Raised paint, cracks and blemishes

will show clearly. Warning signals to be alert for are:

DEFECTS IN THE PLANE, WARPING O

TORQUE: The primary support (stretcher, etc.) c

distort or become deformed. This is a frequ

problem in Florida and coastal areas, such as Hamptons, with their high humidity. New stretc

design combining aluminum supports under

traditional wood stretcher have largely elimina

this when the former stretcher is replaced.

ABRASIONS, TEARS AND PUNCTURES:Wh

abrasions rarely threaten a paintings structure

extreme cases abrasions allow oxidation of

lower layers, leading to peeling and flaking. O

finds tears and punctures in paintings, particula

canvas, are accompanied by distortions fr

pressure released by the tear itself or the instrum

of the tear. There is usually associated damage a

losses in the overlying layers above a damag

support (canvas, etc.).

FLAKING, CLEAVAGE, GROUND AND PAI

LOSSES: Cleavage and flaking most often res

from a poor or deteriorating bond between layers

a painting, called interlayer delamination. Grou

and/or paint losses frequently have their origin

cleavage and flaking. Although flaking and cleava

most often result from a chemical or physi

deterioration, they are also common in impact dama

ACCRETIONS: Occasionally foreign materi

are deposited upon a paintings surface. Th

accretions can result from any number of materi

such as splashed drinks, ink or dirt and grime.

by Gordon A. Lewis, Jr.

CARING FOR PAINTINGSPAINTINGS: A COMPLETE GUIDE FOR CONSERVATION,

DISPLAY & RESTORATION PART I: DAMAGE & RESTORATION

T

Paintings lab - conserving and restoring an Austrian old master painting with the electronic imaging microscope

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VARNISH DISCOLORATIONS AND BLANCHING:

Whether natural or synthetic, varnishes discolor

with age. Natural resins darken from clear into

yellow and then dark brown, while synthetics

become gray. Any change in varnish tonality

changes and can obscure the original intention of

the artists visualization of the picture. This is first

noticeable in natural resins, when whites begin to

take on a somewhat yellow cast; and in synthetics

when the original colors become less vibrant.

Blanching, on the other hand, is characterized with

the varnish becoming a hazy or opaque white from

excessive humidity.

Cleaning is unquestionably the most frequent

treatment performed, and has more potential for

damage than any other procedure in painting

conservation. This is the one procedure which once

performed cannot be reversed and done again.

Clients often come to us saying their art only needs

cleaning, to which we must reply, Yes, and I only

need open heart surgery. The implication is that

unless their conservator has consummate skill,

technical knowledge and experience, the originalpaint can be lost. The damage can be enormous; the

loss of original paint can never be recovered. This

loss, when a painting has significance, creates a

substantial loss of value.

For all of that, in the hands of an expert

conservator cleaning can provide breath-taking

results. A picture of beauty and vibrant color

emerges under the accomplished hand of the

conservator. It used to be, in the not so distant past,

that cleaning was performed with a variety of

solvents. In many cases, we found them to be too

aggressive, and today we have a series of designed

gels which gently remove aged or problem varnishes

without disturbing delicate glazes and scumbles theartist used to achieve subtle tonal qualities.

USING A CONSERVATOR: We discussed what

makes a good conservator, the difference between

restorers and conservators, and the differences

between conservators at various levels of

accomplishment in the article, Why a Conservator???

archived at www.artofthetimes.com. Whenever you

notice anything that seems out of the ordinary, no

matter how minute, such as the preceding damages,

then it is time to consult a conservator. It is a good

idea to have your collection reviewed annually to

ensure that conditions are addressed as they

emerge rather than when they have become major

problems. While a few issues are purely cosmeticand do not threaten the painting (such as darkening

varnish), many situations which seem static are, in

fact, progressively attacking the painting, often so

slowly that their progress is not evident.

Most importantly, any treatment should consist

of the most minimal intervention possible given the

nature of the paintings damage. Another

foundation of conservation is the principle of

reversibility. Any treatment should be able to be

reversed. The singular exception is cleaning.

THE CONSERVATION PROCESS: Conservation

begins with a thorough and competent

examination. It is best to examine paintings under

laboratory conditions, with laboratory grade

equipment, however, there are various reasons

(such as size) that the process may begin at the

owners designated location. Conservation needsand next steps can be determined at that time.

Sometimes the situation is straightforward enough

that the conservator can perform diagnostics on the

spot, giving a treatment proposal and estimate

without further examination. Most conservators

charge a fee for examinations, as do doctors for

examinations.

The needs of each picture dictate the

conservators approach and the process required.

Each of the problems listed above has its own set of

procedures. In our practice, we evaluate roughly

forty issues as we perform an assessment. All begin

with a pre-intervention diagnostic analysis, which,

in turn, directs our approach. Other diagnosticsrequired may include ultraviolet specular reflective

light and/or using infrared or monochromatic

sodium reflective light.

Next is the microscopic examination, which

begins under low-power microscopes. This may lead

into specialized microscopic techniques, including

our electronic imaging microscope, infrared imaging,

polarized microscopy, or thin section microscopy.

In complex situations, we may opt for advanced

technical analysis, such as carbon dating the canvas

to determine its age, or organic and inorganic

chemical analysis of the ground and paint layers

and the binding media in which the paint pigme

reside. Using multifaceted analysis of glazes a

varnishes, we can determine how to rem

problem varnishes while retaining the artists glaz

On occasion, we will employ x-rays or otprocedures designed to enhance our knowledge

the painting and its structure.

After analysis, the conservator will desig

treatment protocol for the picture. Most treatm

procedures are generously illustrated at www.

conservation.org, or call 561-684-6133.

AFTER CONSERVATION AND RESTORAT

BEFORE CONSERVATION AND RESTORAT