 Paintings
can be objects of great beauty and historic importance, but also
of great financial or emotional value to their owner.
What ever the case, paintings are vulnerable anyway, and need
special care and attention for their preservation.
Paintings change in time. The
most evident sign of ageing is a yellowed or darkened surface,
caused by pollution and discoloured varnish.
When this discolouration
becomes obvious in such a way that it troubles a painting, it
generally can and should be removed by a skilled painting
restorer. Don’t think rashly about this, cleaning a
painting is frequently the cause of damage! There are lots of
solvents and combinations of them which can be used here, and
the correct working methods do call for an experienced restorer.
Restoration also means:
repairing paintings with loose or flaking paint, brittle linen,
cracks, water damage, fire damage. In all these examples it is
the task of the restorer to stabilize the painting and - as much
as possible- to preserve and restore.
Also the way in which a
painting is exhibited can be of influence on its preservation
- expert advice can be of help.
conserveer@xs4all.nl
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