Stretcher keys are the thin, triangular wooden wedges that are hammered into the slots located at the inner corners of the stretchers, in order to tighten the canvas by expanding the own stretcher. How do the stretcher keys work? Do we place the keys properly? Find the answers here.
Tools to Outline Treatment Proposals
In art conservation, when examining an artwork to outline a treatment proposal, conservators go through a process very similar to “close reading” a text. First, they look at the artwork, pointing ....
I noticed several cracks on my painting. Should I call a conservator? (Part II)
As it was said in the previous post, cracks are not the problem. The problem is that they allow the moisture to go through, and get into the different layers (varnish, paint layer, ground and support) leading to a failure of the adhesion among them and therefore, to a separation between layers. This delamination is…
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I noticed several cracks on my painting. Should I call a conservator? (Part I)
In a painting, cracks are the most obvious sign of aging. They are noticeable in all old paintings and, to some extent, they cause a change in their appearance. The fine pattern formed on the surface of the paint layer is called crackle or craquelure. This pattern is usually very homogeneous giving the paintings its…
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