Preservation can be a daunting concept; the last thing we want to do is damage the work of our loved ones. I think a lot of us will remember the botched restoration in the Spanish church, or perhaps even this other Spanish restoration project. (Disclaimer: It’s not just the Spanish who do this; these are just the ones I remember.) However, our aim here is preservation, not restoration.
Dusting
A good tool to use for this is a soft-bristle, clean paintbrush. I would recommend buying one for this purpose only, to make sure there is no paint or debris on it. A brush is much better than a cloth as it doesn’t have the loose fibers that can catch on the painting.
It is necessary to check that the painting doesn’t have any loose paint or other 3D elements of the painting, as these can get dislodged by the brush.
It’s best to hold the painting upright, then tilt it forward a little, then sweep gently from one side to the other, or from top to bottom. The tilting of the painting will allow the dust to fall off.
Remember to be gentle; you barely want to touch the painting with the brush.
Temperature
It’s generally suggested that a room should be around 22-24℃ to keep paintings in good condition, which isn’t necessarily that difficult to achieve in the average home, but that obviously depends on the type of house/flat you live in and time of year. I can’t offer professional advice, so if you think you’ll want to sell, or have exhibitions, it would be best to check out professional advice. You can check out Museums Galleries Scotland, or visual arts.org. But if it’s just keeping the work within your own home, then you don’t have to be so consistant with maintaining a perfect temperature, just concentrate on humidity and airflow.
It’s also important to make sure that the paintings aren’t too close to a heat source, such as a radiator.
Humidity
You should avoid putting canvases in or too near a bathroom or kitchen, as the moisture can create mould and also distort the canvas, making it slack. Metal or acrylic glass can withstand these areas better.
Airflow
Canvases especially need good airflow. Therefore, it is important not to wrap them in plastic, as humidity often gets inside. Bedsheets made from cotton are a good option for this, or acid-free paper. It’s really important that the paper is acid-free, as the paintings can be ruined by acidic paper.
Storage
I wouldn’t recommend laying paintings flat and piling them, as this can distort the canvas or frames. It is best to store them on their edges and to put something between each painting. (see airflow) It is also best not to put them directly on the floor; if you can store them higher up as well, this is preferable, but not always possible. You can read this blog post to see how I dealt with this issue.
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