Methods and Techniques for Preserving and Maintaining Oil Paintings

The greatest damage to cultural relics is often caused by improper operations. Therefore, when handling oil paintings, operators must be extremely careful to prevent any actions that may harm the paintings. Properly store the oil paintings. Especially in the following aspects:

Moving: Before moving the oil painting, the operator must ensure that all jewelry, belt buckles, etc. have been removed. Only then will the painting not be accidentally torn or scratched during the movement. When moving the oil painting, make sure to hold the two vertical edges of the painting. When supporting the oil painting, do not hold the top of the frame or the metal wire for hanging. Also, be careful to ensure that the metal hanging lines of the painting do not pierce the back of the painting during the movement. Avoid hitting the painting canvas, as even the slightest impact may cause future cracking of the painting surface.

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Applying varnish: The environment for applying varnish should be warm and dry. High humidity can cause moisture from the air to enter between the varnish and the pigment layer, resulting in the whitening of the varnish. Low temperature is not conducive to the normal evaporation of solvents and will slow down the drying speed. To prevent the varnish from adhering to dust in the air, the space for applying varnish and the painting must be cleaned the night before, allowing the dust in the air to clear up after a night. All tools and containers must be clean and must not contain moisture. Brushing varnish can be done by brushing or spraying. In principle, multiple thin coats are always better than one thick coat.

Storage: Most modern museums use some movable oil painting racks to preserve oil paintings. The oil paintings can be hung on moving frames with mesh. This method ensures that the oil painting does not directly contact the ground, which is better than stacking and is more effective in reducing the pressure on the painting and reducing surface friction. It also makes it convenient to take and view.

The oil painting racks can slide smoothly, protecting the frame of the painting and the bottom boundary from wear and tear. However, the oil paintings should be stored in groups according to their size. Large-sized, medium-sized, and small-sized paintings should be stored on different racks to avoid uneven force. The paintings should be hung vertically, with approximately 5-6 paintings in each group. Too many paintings stored on the same rack will exert too much pressure, ensuring that the frame tenons do not rest on adjacent oil paintings. Damage caused by pressure is usually not immediately noticeable, but it will eventually lead to cracks and deformation of the collection.

Protection: The primary aspect of protecting an oil painting is protecting the surface of the painting. Without proper protection, the surface of the painting is highly susceptible to being damaged by hard objects or worn down by adjacent works. The best approach is to wrap it with acid-free glass paper to prevent dust contamination and exposure to light, and to also prevent hand contact. During the display process, it is also necessary to prevent the painting surface from being scratched by hooks, wires, or other hanging materials, especially hard objects with protruding edges.

In summary, the protection work actually begins from the moment the painter starts creating the painting. The first step is the painter's selection of painting materials, including frames, canvases, pigments, varnishes, etc.; the second step is the control of the storage and display environment by the collector; the third step is the behavior of people when they come into contact with the painting. Each of these steps is crucial and should be subject to the highest standards of requirements, implementation, and operation. Only in this way can the lifespan of the painting be maximally extended.

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September 13, 2025 7:42 AM