How to Take Care of an Original Oil Painting

While most of us don't have a Picasso or a Pollack decorating the walls of our homes, chances are we probably own at least one or two original oil paintings. Whether it's an undiscovered masterpiece painted by a friend or a little something picked up on that last vacation, oil paintings need special care and handling. Without proper care, a painting can be easily damaged or deteriorate over time.

How to move the painting safely

Caring for a new painting begins with careful transport. From the time the oil painting is purchased to the very moment it is proudly displayed on the wall of our homes, special care must be taken in both handling and moving the art work.

Art galleries have an incredible procedure for moving valuable works of art which include special waterproof cases and lots of insulated padding. For those of us bringing home a painting in the back seat of our cars, it's worth remembering that the art work can't be just tossed on the seat and left to bounce around. Oil paintings should be carefully wrapped, cushioned, and insulated from moisture, humidity, and temperature extremes they will encounter during transport.

Since oil paintings can crack under extreme weather conditions, it's best to transport the paintings when the weather is moderate.

Hanging the painting

Many of my acquaintances hang up their works of art to complement a piece of furniture or to "fill" an empty wall. The danger of hanging up an oil painting in any old location is that these locations might not be the safest place to display your new work of art.

What are some of the factors to consider when hanging an oil painting?

Always place out of harm's way. An oil painting should never be displayed where it runs the risk of being bumped or leaned against, touched with the fingers, or spattered upon by an errant water fountain, watering pitcher, or cocktail.

Display in areas away from temperature extremes. Oils will crack when suddenly exposed to dry heat or cold temperatures. To prevent this from happening, an oil painting should never be hung near a fireplace or heat register, air conditioning vents or units, near doors or windows, in a bathroom, or on a poorly insulated exterior wall.

Away from direct sunlight. The ultraviolet of natural sunlight will cause an oil painting to fade. Artwork should never be displayed on walls that are illuminated with sunlight at any time of the day. The best policy is to hang oil paintings in rooms with low levels of direct or artificial lighting.

Display in rooms free of airborne pollutants. Over time, fireplace and candle soot, fly droppings, airborne kitchen oils and grease, oily road dust, and the tar from cigarettes may attach to the surface of the oil painting. To avoid this type of damage from happening to your oil paintings, it's best to display them in areas where the air quality of the room is clean.

The capacity of the picture hanger. The best way to hang the painting is with picture hanger hooks instead of a big nail. Hanger hooks should be nailed directly into a stud, and be the right size for the amount of weight they will be supporting. I always use two hooks to hang my oil paintings which provides extra support and makes it much easier to straighten out the paintings.

Care of the Oil Painting

If the oil painting must be dusted, don't blow on it or try using "canned air" to knock the away the dust. Both of these methods can deposit particles on the surface of the painting.

Instead, you should lightly brush the dust away using a clean, soft bristled Chinese watercolor brush or a very soft feather duster that has been set aside just for cleaning your artwork. An alternative way of dusting a canvas is to remove it from the wall, turn it over, and gently shake the dust off. Do take care not to handle the canvas with your fingers nor touch the bare canvas on the back side. If the canvass is soiled for whatever reason, its cleaning is a job best left to a professional conservator who has both the skills and the equipment needed to clean and repair your oil painting.

These are just a few tips for the proper care and display of your oil painting. For a more comprehensive guide about caring for your art collection, visit the website of the Canada Conservation Institute. This site is full of fabulous information about caring for your treasures and family heirlooms. You can visit the site through this link.