Basic Care of Your Framed Work
Handle with care – when carrying and transporting a picture, grasp the frame firmly at both sides. If you have to store pictures, make sure they are stacked vertically and the right way up. When stacking pictures, stand them glass to glass so that hangers do not damage the frame.
Eye-level display – remember most pictures are designed to be viewed at eye-level. When hanging a group of pictures of different sizes align the top edges. Groups of pictures need not be hung in symmetrical patterns, but they should follow some kind of overall design. Try arranging them on the floor first.
A gentle clean – dust frames or bush with a soft brush, rather than risk applying water or cleaning fluids. Don’t use cleaning fluids or water on the varnished surface of oil paintings; again dust carefully. If fluids have to be used on glass, apply them to the duster first (rather than spraying the glass directly); do not let them touch the frame.
Hang securely – use two hooks on the wall, each set about a quarter of the way in from either side of the picture. Check that the cord, wire or other hanger you use is designed to support the weight of your artwork. Where safety is critical, for example in children’s bedrooms ask about glazing and security fittings. Ideally pictures should not be hung above radiators. Extreme or rapid changes in temperature cause paper and wood to wrap and dry out and adhesives to fail. Damp can cause pictures to ripple. If the ripples touch the glass, the picture might stick and be hard to remove. Damp also encourages fungal growth, likely to show as brown stains. Conservation framing can slow these effects but it is always best to avoid hanging framed pictures in humid conditions.
Return to mender making routine checks – if you find evidence of discolouration, unsightly brown dots, small insects under the glass or that the brown paper tape sealing the back of the frame has come unstuck, return the frame to the framer. Check for corroding picture wire and weak or loosening cord. The varnish on oil paintings will gradually discolour, especially if the painting hangs in smoky or polluted conditions. An expert should replace it as it dirties. Oil paintings stretched over wooden bars may sag over time and the bars can make a slight imprint on the front of the canvas. Take the picture back for tightening or re-stretching. The Fine Art Trade Guild recommends inspection every five years.
© Wildwood Gallery 2002-2009. The gallery, artists and publishers retain copyright on all images featured on this site.