Exposed Gesso On Oil Painting

Shayla

WOW Framer
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Posts
35,332
Location
Washington State
Just stretched a painting on canvas (about 38 x 50") that a couple brought back from abroad. The thick paint was already cracked in quite a few places, which didn't worsen during stretching, but are still there. In some of them, the cracks are so deep that they extend into the thick gesso layer, which doesn't really show up unless you scrutinized the painting, but is still there. I've told them that if they want it touched up, we can have it done, but here's my question. They're pretty fine with how it looks now; if they choose to not have it touched up, will the exposed gesso ever cause a problem? For example, could it absorb moisture from the air that eventually causes it to flake, or the cracks to worsen? Thanks for any replies.
 
Touching it up would not fix the problem, but varnishing the painting should help.
 
This is a normal thing with oils. They keep 'drying' for decades. Old paintings will develop that
'craquelure' effect and sometimes the fragments become detached.
If it's a 'tourist' painting I wouldn't worry too much. The ground is probably acrylic rather than
the 'proper' stuff. If it is not a 'valuable' item then you could coat it with an clear painting medium
such as Liquin, working well into any fissures.
It's as tough as old boots and will consolidate the whole thing.

But having said that, I would leave well alone. ;)
 
Thanks, guys. It was really thick paint, and I was frazzled and hurried when it came in. I didn't notice the cracks at first, then I accidentally rolled it too tightly in the wrong way, which might or might not have worsened cracks that were or weren't already there. At any rate, I called the customer in, told them exactly all this, and asked if they wanted to go ahead with the job. They can see the cracks, and they agree that, since none of us noticed, we don't know how many it came in with or if I did some, but the cracks aren't obvious at a glance, so they were fine with stretching and framing it. We have an oil painter who comes in every few months to touch up something, and I told them that if they wanted the cracks hidden with dabs of paint, they can bring it back in to have that done. But I don't know if it's oil or acrylic, and am wondering if anything worse could happen if they leave it untouched.

I'll mention your coating ideas to them. Not being a painter, I steer clear of trying to do any coatings or touch-ups myself.
 
Back
Top