New treatments for canvas consolidation and conservation

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• Nanocomposite
• Nanocrystalline cellulose
• Deacidification
• Canvas
• Paintings