Cleaning oil paintings

I'd like to know art conservation myself, but I've done enough research, tried enough things, ruined enough paintings, to know that it's a field fraught with perils.

Thank goodness I never had anything valuable I thought I could "fix".

Some of the amateur daubs I've had... I think a bit of grime and age toning actually improved the original effort.

 

One of the features of conservation becoming a professional/academic/scientific practice is the fact that experiments, treatments and results are published in peer-reviewed journals rather than being held as trade secrets. This has been true since the 1950s.

Several relevant journals have now made their older issues available online for free, some through JSTOR, or Taylor & Francis, with a subscription required for more recent issues.

https://www.culturalheritage.org/publications/journal-(jaic)

https://www.iiconservation.org/publications/sic

https://www.cac-accr.ca/publications/

For years, organizations such as the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), and the Smithsonian have published leaflets on basic care of a variety of types of historic objects.

The problem is not a lack of accessible information for those who are seriously interested. The problem is people's idea that "restoration" is simple, does not require any special knowledge or training, and should be as easy as following a recipe in a cook book.

One of the important goals of the professional organizations such as AIC, IIC, and CAC, and the graduate programs in conservation, was to develop a profession that adhered to scientific standards of practice, and a shared code of ethics for the treatment of historical objects. This was for the benefit of the objects which represent our common heritage. It is also for the benefit of individual clients, who should be able to trust that a conservator is employing best practice and is accountable to a professional code of ethics.

In addition to helping insure quality professionals, the rigorous standards for training do have the effect of limiting the number of practicing conservators. Jobs in conservation are quite limited. Only a few museums are large enough, and funded well enough, to support a conservation department. Private practice is also challenging, with few communities able to support a conservator with rates that compensate for their extensive training and the time required for careful treatments. The general reluctance shown on this forum to engage a conservator demonstrates the point. People will pay for a plumber or electrician, but balk at paying for care for their artwork.

The closest comparison really is medicine, in terms of the skills and training required. But few will see conservation as essential a practice as medical care.

 

A book I found to be very interesting reading is:

The Cleaning of Paintings: Problems and Potentialities
Helmut Ruhemann
LoC 68-17958
Frederick Praeger 1968

Of course, a lot will have changed in the intervening years, but he was art restorer for the National Gallery in London.

As I recall, there's enough information in that book to do some damage.

It might be available through your local library.

 

Archetype Publications is an excellent source for books on the current state of conservation, including a book by Richard Wolbers: Cleaning Painted Surfaces: Aqueous Methods.
https://archetype.co.uk/our-titles/cleaning-painted-surfaces/?id=108

https://archetype.co.uk/our-titles/

 

You got me on published information! Still, I believe it would be fantastic if the latest information were in a more digestible format for the public.

I also apologize in advance if I come across as insensitive or uninformed as I've only recently gotten into fine art. I've (just recently) approached art with a mindset developed from my seven years of real estate investment experience.

In a nutshell everything in RE save for land has a limited service life absent continued human investment. Without multiple new roofs, HVAC systems, electrical systems, etc. a house constructed well in 1900 would be a pile of bricks today. Even if kept weathertight, the house would eventually depreciate so much without upgrades that renovation is no longer practical. This assumes no serious external obsolescence!

This may not be an issue for stately mansions located in affluent areas without density pressure. Unfortunately, the vast majority of homes aren't this lucky. A homeowner seeking to preserve his/her 2/2 1920 stick framed craftsman home is fighting a constant battle against time and outside forces. Manufactured homes are even more of a lost cause.

I'm still quite new here, however I see many parallels in the art world. Unless paintings are kept in a pristine environment, they will eventually succumb to the forces of time. If an average painting degrades so far that it is unviewable, it may no longer be worth saving. We must continually invest in personal property to preserve its value. Example- I just bought a wonderful 1870s seascape for the value of its (repaired) frame. Fortunately, the seller recognized the period frame and rescued it from a dumpster.

There appear to be few options for cost-effective and safe commercial conservation to preserve less-valuable pieces. Without something halfway between professional certified conservation and uninformed DIY, many average paintings are likely lost forever.

P.S. Unfortunately, based on my experience in real estate codes of ethics, professional associations, and licensure don't guarantee quality. I've seen PEs blackmail clients, plumbers and electricians continually violate code and lie to their customers, real estate agents grossly misrepresent square feet, etc. If you'd like to see a (much more serious!) example in medicine, check out "Dr. Death". I wouldn't trust a conservator to properly care for paintings just based on his/her professional membership.

 

There is nothing to stop someone from hanging out their shingle as a conservator/restorer. AIC, the professional organization in the US, has argued about more formal certification for years. But the efforts have failed largely because of the number of routes people may take to enter the field, some through the academic programs, some through traditional apprenticeships, and others being self taught. If there is a dearth in mid-range services, it may be because there is a lack of demand, at least at a level that a practitioner would find financially sustainable.

A significant percentage of Americans are notoriously indifferent to history, including the preservation of art and artifacts. Obtaining funding for preservation efforts is a constant struggle. A culture demonstrates what it cares about by what it is willing to pay for.

One middle ground, well covered in the leaflets I mentioned and some books written for popular consumption, is "preventive conservation". This approach focuses on preventing damage in the first place, or at least preventing a condition from getting worse. Unlike the exterior of buildings which are exposed to extremes of weather, most artwork and historic objects are kept indoors where there is a greater ability to modify and control their environment. (Outdoor sculptures are an exception, and pose unique difficulties.) Conditions do not need to be "pristine" - by which you probably mean unachievable. Understanding the harmful effects of light, excessive heat, fluctuating relative humidity, and pests can lead to relatively simple interventions - avoid hanging your artwork where it is exposed to direct sunlight or heat from a radiator; inspect your valuable wool rugs regularly, to detect any infestation; carefully dust and vacuum regularly; use air conditioning and humidification (if possible) to try to maintain more stable RH; use archival quality storage materials for artwork not on display; etc..

There is no point investing time and money in a conservation treatment if the artwork is going to be returned to the conditions that contributed to the damage in the first place.

Caring for Your Collections. Arthur Schultz, ed. Harry N. Abrams, 1992. ISBN 0810925583

Sotheby's caring for antiques: A guide to handling, cleaning, display, and restoration. Conran Octopus, 1992. ISBN 1850293376