Following are some steps you can take to ensure a long life for your paintings.

PREVENT DAMAGE

---

Rick Floyd, Registrar, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s head of conservation, recommends

Jackson Pollock’s “Number 7, 1951,” after the stain removal.

maintaining a constant temperature of 70 degrees and a humidity of 50 percent in rooms containing paintings. “Hang the picture on the inside of dividing walls,” Tice adds. “Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from fireplaces, heating and air conditioning vents, radiators, doors to the outside that are frequently opened, and away from bathrooms and stoves.” In some cases, attaching a backing board to the stretcher adds structural integrity and prevents people from using the stretcher as a handle when moving the artwork. (This can stress the canvas and lead to micro-fissures in the pigment that can grow into larger problems.)

CONSERVATION ADVICE

---

If a painting requires treatment, conservators advise against the imposition of any new materials. For example, relining (applying a new backing to the canvas) should only be done when absolutely necessary as the process involves applying heat and/or pressure to affix the new backing, which can flatten paint. In fact, all work done should be reversible. This is a far cry from some discredited practices such as using pumice stone to scrape off old varnish or igniting alcohol applied to the surface, also to remove old varnish.

FINDING A CONSERVATOR

---

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) can help you find one, and Coetzee recommends choosing one based on area of expertise. Members of this Washington, D.C.–based national organization treat paintings, works on paper, porcelain, furniture and more. The AIC’s Web site provides a solid overview of the field, common-sense recommendations on how to select a conservator (tip: many museum conservators are available for hire) and a database of members searchable by medium and geography. Though AIC does not have an accreditation process, Paul Messier, a member of its board of directors and a Boston-based conservator of photographs, works on paper and electronic media, says, “Quality control is governed primarily through defining standards of practice and ethical conduct, assuring adherence to these principles, and educating the public about the nature of professional conservation practice and specific questions they should ask when selecting a conservator for a project.”

---

Nord Wennerstrom is Art & Antiques’ Washington, D.C., correspondent.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

---

►The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
Washington, D.C.
202.452.9545
aic.stanford.edu/public/select.html