Color alterations

The primary function of the finishing varnish layer is to protect the paint from external agents. Contact with air and pollution can lead to …

Overpainting and skinning

Much of the damage that can be found on the paintings today is the result of ancient cleaning operations. Between the Sixteenth and Eighteenth Centuries no distinction was made on the type …

Flaking and color loss

The mechanical tensions that the support undergoes over time generate cracks (craquelure) that affect all the layers of the painting (preparation, paint film, varnish) and that …

Support deformations

The dimensional stability of the support is of fundamental importance for the preservation of the overlapping layers of color and ground preparation; it is linked to deformations …

Damage to canvas supports

The sensitivity of the canvas fabric to variations in humidity causes loosening, traction and uneven tension. A constant control of the painting over time (and above all relative humidity) …

Biological damage

Biological damage, attacks by biotic agents, ie living organisms, which in paintings on a wooden or canvas support appear as fungi (molds), bacteria and insects.