Featured Newbe painting collector quastion

Hello. I am new on this forum and also in the antique painting collection. I would like to ask if anyone could help me understand crackle on old paintings. I bought this particular one as a 18th century painting and happens to have in a part of the painting crackle that resembles spider web, the rest of the paintings crackle is completely ununiformed, but this particular place has this distinctive pattern. Is this normal? How would it develope this kind of crackle? Hope my English are understandable, it's not my first language. I thank you all in advance for your help.

 

Sometimes circular cracking is due to an impact to the painting. Otherwise, I am not sure. There is probably some kind of scientific explanation as to why nature has created a pattern.

 

Hello, SebV. Who is your avatar? I agree with Brad that the most probable cause for that circular craquelure was an impact, something hitting, the center of the bullseye. Is the painting on canvas?

 

Is that the entire painting that we are looking at in your picture?
Photos of the sides and back would be helpful. I have no idea what I'm looking at..

How big is it?

 

Welcome, SebV.
I agree with the others, some kind of impact, or being stored on top of something poking into it. The surface still looks flat, there doesn't seem to be any real damage.
Your English is fine, btw. Many of us aren't native speakers.

 

Thank you for your answer. My avatar is King Menanders portrait on a coin of the indo-greek kingdom (2nd- 1st century bc), I am 23 years old and I collect ancient coin since I was 13. Antique painting collection is my very new hobby. The painting is on canvas and has been had some repairs in the past as well as it's stretchers changed. Here is a picture of the hole painting, it is not the best picture but you can have an idea.

 

The photo is much better than we see on some threads.
It is really beautiful, and I agree with 18th century. It may have been in a convent originally.

 

Hello, I am new here, and just came across this post. Your question reminded me of a amazing documentary, recently shown on NOVA, ‘decoding da Vinci’. It showed how modern art historians are able to see through the layers of paint on his masterpieces. Unlike today, past painters used all types of mediums, and many, many layers. Egg tempera was used often for different effects, however it is a major factor in the cracking we see today on centuries old art. I would speculate that your artist used a higher concentration in the face area, to create a depth and glow. Incorporate even a small bump to the painting, during a simple move, timing and temperature, and the beautiful, natural pattern sets your work aside from others. I would also note the specific pattern on your records and insurance forms, for easy identification.

 

Welcome SebV! The painting is beautiful

 

Thank you for your reply! Everything you said is extremely interesting!

 

Thank you. I appreciate all of you making me feel so welcome in this forum!

 

I collect cameos, & many cameos take their images from coins. And many cameos come from paintings. Your painting would make a lovely cameo, as did this one:



Painting shown is a copy of one by Guido Reni, late 16th - early 17th century. (I never miss an opportunity to show off a cameo.)

 

That's beautiful, is the cameo victorian or earlier?

 

Thank you. First part of Victorian era. It is signed by Francesco Carnesecchi, who was active mid-19th century.

 

I made her a little brighter:

 

Such "craquelure" is common on old paintings, caused by a combination of factors. Traditional paintings on wood and canvas were built up with multiple layers of primer, ground, and pigmented paint, and the layers do not always react to changes in the environment in a uniform manner. As they age, the layers also become more brittle. Changes in relative humidity cause the supporting canvas or wood to expand and shrink, and the weakened paint layers cannot follow the changes, resulting in cracks. Direct physical stress also causes cracks. You might see a pattern of cracks radiating from the corners of a painting, caused by the canvas being keyed out to remove slack. Or a blow to the front or back of a painting can result in the circular spider web cracks as in your painting. The damage may not be immediately visible, but over time the stress shows up as cracks. I have seen one portrait that showed a disturbing distortion across the face that was caused by someone writing on the back of the canvas with a pencil.