Glossary: Care and storage of art

Care and storage is an important subject as over the years many wonderful paintings have been lost due to neglect and ignorance. The first thing to remember is that a painting is organic and therefore easily destroyed by misuse. Watercolours are painted on to paper that can discolour, tear or fox and oils are painted on to board or canvas which can be damaged.

Paintings hung on walls get dusty as any other item in a house and should be surface cleaned from time to time. Oil paintings can be wiped over with a damp cloth to remove any dirt but great care should be taken to ensure that no projecting areas of paint are snagged and damaged. If you have any concerns about doing this, contact a professional picture restorer. Watercolours can be cleaned with a dry cloth to remove dust particles or the residue from smoking. If the painting has been properly sealed then no dust or tiny insects should have got inside the frame. This can happen, especially in rural areas where the dreaded harvest fly can get into the mount area. There is only one solution to this apart from moving and that is to go to your local framer and get him to take the picture apart, clean and reseal it.

If paintings are well framed then many sources of damage are eradicated and here at Room4art.com™ we frame all works to the standards laid down by the Fine Art Trade Guild. When storing oils watercolours and prints always ensure that the paintings are covered in bubble wrap to exclude damp and protect the frame. Store in an upright position in a dry but ventilated area. This should ensure the safe keeping of paintings that are not currently being displayed on your walls.