The article covers much of the basic information when inspecting an antique painting, including handling art, basic aesthetics, size, support, paint layers, protective layers, framing, as well as examination aids such as UV light inspection etc.
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The following excerpt covers Paint Layers and Protective Layers from Peter's article.
Paint Layers
The paint layer really consists of several layers of paint: strong layers,
weak layers, flexible layers, brittle layers, etc. Its condition depends on two major things: how the artist constructed the total painting; and how the painting has been cared for since its completion.
Cracking and paint losses are often very apparent but sometimes an
ambient light exam isn’t enough and a careful examination is necessary. When possible, hold the painting up to a light source such as a lamp, window, or direct sunlight. The painting should be far enough away from lamps or windows to avoid contact but close enough to allow transmitted light to show through the cracks. Handle the painting carefully! Sometimes sections of paint are extremely loose—held only by a thread—and improper handling will result in paint loss. Oil paint moves during the drying process, shrinks, and becomes brittle with age—thus age cracking is unavoidable and a display of antiquity that should be secured but not disguised.
The type of cracking you should be concerned with is cupping, curling,
lifting and separating from the support and/or ground. A light source
placed at an angle to the painting will create a highlight and shadow pattern wherever these irregularities exist. This is known as raking light illumination and, in addition to being a quick and easy examination, it is very informative. If the raking light reveals this type of cracking and separating, the best remedy is to line the painting with an adhesive that will consolidate the defective areas.
Protective Layer
Oil paintings are usually protected from dust, grime, soot and other
environmental conditions with varnish. When varnish ages it becomes
brittle, it cracks and it turns from a transparent coating to an obscuring
yellow-brown coating: it dulls the painting's color, reduces visual depth, and loses its ability to protect the painting. A bluish white cloudiness, called bloom, is another common varnish ailment. It is caused by minute fractures and further deteriorated by moisture. When varnish discolors and cracks it destroys the appearance of a painting and it loses its effectiveness as a protective coating. This discouraging condition is as temporary as the varnish coating itself. Picture varnish can usually be removed without too much difficulty by a paintings conservator. A day or two after varnish removal, a fresh coat of varnish should be applied to ensure future protection as well as restoring the natural coloring and visual depth to the painting. Newer mineral spirit acrylic varnishes (MSA) do not darken like the natural resin varnishes like damar and mastic. Some unscrupulous people use UV masking varnishes to hide restorations. Some will, after applying the masking varnish, add some minor retouches to less important areas of the painting as a way to make the examiner feel more comfortable than looking at a very old painting showing no signs of restoration. UV masking varnish has a heavy greenish, greasy, milky color that is sometime difficult to detect.
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