Art collectors will love this discussion on getting rid of ripples and cracking in paintings. 5 great tips for art collectors.

1. Problems in Old Oil Paintings - Gathers/Rippling/Cracks
What Happened To My Painting?!!!!
About 12 years I was digging through a storage room with a client/friend/dealer,
Thom Gianetto of Edenhurst Gallery and he had a sweet 19th century painting by an
unknown artist that I immediately knew my wife would love. This painting was
totally NOT his “thing” as he is an expert in high quality early California
Impressionist paintings that are really gorgeous and highly collectible. So, we
worked out a deal and I got the painting. The unframed painting was in very good
condition, with a moderately yellowed varnish and a few cracks in the paint
layers that I thought “I would just live with for now.” But lately, the ripples and
cracking have looked more pronounced and don’t go away.
I’ve blogged before about the effects of humidity and temperature on oil and
acrylic paintings on fabrics (it doesn’t matter if they are on linen, cotton canvas,
hemp or a blend): Click here to see the article and comments. Well, this blog post
is about MY PAINTING! I mean, as good as the care is on my own art, I would
expect NOTHING to ever happen! Here is a photo of the painting:
G.A. Cuomo c. 1880
If you want to read about the unexpected cleaning of this painting, CLICK HERE
(read about the unexpected time it took). We’ve had the painting hung in the front
room of our house (CLICK HERE to see short video with this painting of
earthquake proofing your collectibles), now for about 11 years, in a mild climate
with no heating issues or excess humidity. Here’s a raking light photo to show you
the ripples or gathers in the canvas that have remained in the painting.:

2. Notice gathers/ripples along right and left sides and the
pronounced cracks across the painting in the upper areas
The ripples or distortions correspond to where the original artist tacked the canvas
to the stretcher bars and now that the canvas is expanding and contracting the
unevenness that the artist used in his technique are showing up. The expanding and
contracting of the painting is a result of fluxuating humidity and temperature and
perhaps its been a bit more muggy than usual where we live. So, it would be
predictable that they would be more pronounced.
The question and decision to be made is: 1) Wait till the muggy season is over and
see if the gathers, ripples and cracks in the painting are less visible. 2) Back the
painting now so that we never see the ripples ever again and we stop the cracking
of the paint where it is now so they don’t develop any further. We’ve chosen option
#2. The backing of a painting is called “lining a painting” and this painting
conservation treatment should NEVER change the texture of the front of the
painting. It should also be “reversible” or removable in the future without harming
the artwork.
In this case, the 19th century canvas is highly responsive to water and if I were to
use a water based glue to attach the lining, it would cause the fibers to shrink and
the painting would be extensively damaged. Here’s a close up of another painting
that was glue/paste lined and the paint popped off in a small area… but I’ve seen
entire paintings go ape nuts flaking after getting wet:
Losses of paint due to shrinkage of the canvas on a 19th century painting

3. I could use wax as an adhesive to line the painting but its my experience that the
wax doesn’t do very well in getting rid of cracking and distortions unless you get
the painting so hot as to practically melt the paint and it often stains and darkens
19th century glazing layers particularly if they are light colored (but I’ve seen many
dark colors stained too). So, I don’t use wax as a lining adhesive.
There are many choices of synthetic adhesives that have been tested and developed
specifically for painting restoration lining treatments over the last 50 years or
more. The couple that we use are more easily reversed and don’t put the painting at
risk. They can also be utilized in cooperation with other treatments to remove
distortions and cracks.
So, I will be using a synthetic adhesive for the lining treatment to get rid of the
gathers/ripples and the cracks. I can pretty much guarantee that the painting will
look perfect when we are done… and will stay that way for many decades into the
future. Anytime way into the future, if for some reason our painting conservation
lining treatment needs to be undone and removed, it will come off without
damaging the original painting.
Framing: I've written before about how much I like to hunt for, collect and recycle
old frames. Here's the article: CLICK HERE. Well, that's exactly what we did with
this painting! A short time after I got this painting, I was scrounging around in an
attic with a client and found a really beat up, dirty, busted up old frame from the
1880's. Disgusted that he would have such a sorry looking item still around, the
client gave it to me. I don’t have a photo of it before we did the restoration work but
it was cut down to fit the painting in this blog post, the broken corner
ornamentation was reconstructed and the broken and missing gesso was repaired
(filled and consolidated). Then the whole frame was refinished with a 23K gold
waterleaf period looking finish. Here’s what it looks like today. I love this frame!
Period frame, saved from the trash, from end of the 1800’s - cut down and refinished to fit this painting

4. Nice “package” (as the dealer’s would say), eh? And I hit a home run with my wife
too! By the way, if you have a beat up old broken down frame you want to give
me, let me know. Maybe we can trade something for it!
So, I think you can see there are several valuable points made in this blog post if you
are an art collector:
1. Why paintings have ripples and crack (humidity and temperature fluxuations)
2. Choices when choosing a lining technique for paintings and why
3. Great example of reusing old frames
4. I gave you 5 great (non self promoting) links to other high interest information
Keep these points in mind and you will be thanking me for helping you to save
$1,000’s and get better higher quality results in your collection care and painting
collecting.
In exchange for this valuable information, would you please give this blog post a
THUMBS UP? Thanks!
Art conservation questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438
Art and antiques appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate, FACL Appraisals 805
895 5121
Call Thom Gianetto, Edenhurst Gallery 949 376 9222 or go to the gallery website at
http://www.edenhurstgallery.com for Early California Impressionist and
Modernist Paintings
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