Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop new, sustainable treatments for the consolidation and conservation of canvas of modern and contemporary art. Because of the diversity of painting types, two product groups which have polar and nonpolar character were developed. The treatment should be applicable to the back side of the canvas. The deacidification agents are sub-µm-particles of calcium carbonate or magnesium oxide which are dispersed in water or heptane. The polar components are hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose and nanocrystalline cellulose which are biopolymers derived from renewable raw materials. The nonpolar products were obtained by the silylation of the raw materials and allow the solubility in nonpolar solvents as heptane. Each product was applied to highly degraded, acidic model cotton canvas as well as canvas from real paintings. The application of these products showed a good increase of breaking force at a low increase of the mass of the canvas and also had only slight optical changes of the canvas. The deacidification of canvasses is a good preventive measure and can protect canvasses from future damage by acidity. The deacidification agents showed an increase of pH from acidic to alkaline after the treatment and a deposition of an alkaline reserve.
Highlights
The restoration of canvas paintings has often concentrated on the face of the painting
The samples that were aged in the climate chamber (CC) have values of 44–74 N
The highly degraded cotton canvas which was aged by acids (AA) showed a more uniform breaking force of 46 N ± 3 N (Fig. 1)
Summary
The restoration of canvas paintings has often concentrated on the face of the painting. Problems included yellowed varnishes, flaking of the painting layer, craquelure and others. The canvasses of many paintings have become very weak by oxidative and acid-catalyzed degradation reactions in the past centuries. The degradation processes cause disruptions and cracks which endanger the paintwork of the entire picture. Due to the manifold used substances, there are several main difficulties in developing an appropriate treatment. The whole system of canvas and paintwork is extremely sensitive against any type of solvents. Polar solvents like water make the fibers swell and can dissolve the colored degradation products of the canvas.
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