DOCUMENTATION METHODS OF OIL PAINTINGS ON CANVAS

Abstract

            Oil paintings on canvas are paintings made with a brush or spatula on a specially prepared surface (canvas) with oil-based paints. Oil painting was first used on canvas in the 15th century by Jan van Eyck. Oil painting consists of support (a panel of wood), fabric (canvas), ground (gesso), paint and varnish layers.

            It is of great importance that the oil painting  on canvas, which are among the portable cultural properties, are protected, restored and passed on to future generations. Being able to evaluate the current state of oil paintings on canvas , their deterioration and the reasons for their deterioration, is the most important factor in their conservation. Documentation constitutes the most basic work in conservation and restoation applications. Documentation includes the comprehensive study and application steps applied in order to determine the current state of the cultural properties in detail.

            In this study, documentation techniques used in oil paintings on canvas paintings are discussed. Documentation is of great importance in terms of monitoring the planning and restoration steps in the conservation / restoration applications of the oil paintings on canvas before, during and after the restoration. Documentation studies; It begins with a preliminary written documentation to understand the current state of the oil paintings on canvas (painter, period, technique, dimensions, types of deterioration, previous restorations, etc.). These determinations are prepared in a status report for conservation / restoration purposes. In imaging documentation, photography is the first step. Photographing is applied by using different light sources (UV, IR, FCIR and X-ray) from the side, front, back and angular and provides information on the technique and production steps, layers, deteriorations and retouching of the paintings. After photographing, using laser shearography method for measuring and mapping the tension in the canvas paintings, 3D imaging, Terahertz imaging, drawing and examinations with light microscope are performed. Chemical techniques are applied following the written and visual documentation steps. These techniques are detailed analyzes that give information about the origin, type, components and layers of the materials (varnish, paint, ground and canvas) used in oil paintings on canvas. With archaeometric analyzes such as spot tests, chromametric analysis, petrographic thin-section polarized optical microscope analysis, SEM-EDX, XRF, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, TLC, HPLC, GC and FTIR analysis, the organic / inorganic components of the pigmentes can be chemically characterized in detail.

Keywords

Oil paintings on canvas, conservation and restoration of oil paintings on canvas, documentation of oil paintings on canvas, documentation techniques of oil paintings on canvas, archaeometric analysis in oil paintings on canvas.