Consolidation and structural repairs

Facing is a way of protecting picture layer temporarily. Small pieces of paper, fleece or fine natural or synthetic fabric are attached to the surface of paint layer to protect of further flaking ot chipping.

"Thomas Morgan Earl of Machen"                             Anno 1620 The paint surface of this 17th c english portrait has become detached from the wood picture support, which has subsequently led to lifting and flaking of the picture layer

Cleaning the verso of a painting The back of old paintings are not usually smooth and clean. Deposits and residues of dirt, smoke deposits, adhesive residues, old patching need to be either removed or allowed for during the treatment.  Old textiles support will usually have been lined .Lining fabric occasionally need to be removed - if the lining was poorly executed in the first place, or if the textile support has suffered deformation or destruction, or the lining canvas is delaminating . Then the original canvas should be glued to a new fabric - the operation is known as relining.

Old lining removal

Impregnation - the process of coating of textile supports with natural or synthetic bonding agents to provide a protective layer in order to consolidate the paint and/or ground layer.

Patching - square or oblong pieces of textile fabric are glued behind a partial injury (tear, puncture)  to stabilize the textile support and to form a basis for further restoration.

Strip-lining - this is done by gluing a broader strip of fabric behind the turnover or behind the textile support. It becomes necessary when a  painting needs to be stretched, but the stretching edge is unstable or only residually present, or when it has been cut off.

Lining - in lining, a piece of backing fabric is glued to the reverse of the textile support because the support is no longer capable of stabilizing the picture layer, there is advanced cleavage or the support is partially destroyed.

17th c. German painting before and after lining process

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