The Archival Question -
An Opinion

I would like to dedicate this chapter to Douglas Adams, who, before he was tragically killed in an auto accident, generously shared with me some of his knowledge of the conservation of artwork. I would also like to thank Carmen Bria for his knowledgeable
advice.

Most painters I know shrug off the archival question - I’ve heard: “If it lasts 30 years, I’ll be gone. That’s long enough.” Or this: “If I was selling my work for lots of
money, then I’d worry about it.” The feeling seems to be that archival concerns are for “famous” artists. I’d like to argue otherwise.

A case in point: My family has several oil paintings done by my great aunt in the 1880s. Not museum quality pieces but very
credible works, nonetheless. The point here is that these paintings are worth more to us than to anyone else because someone
from our family’s past painted them.

They will all need restoration, which could run into real money. Because they are not paintings by a famous artist, there is no museum, collector or dealer to foot the bill - only us.

If my great aunt had had more awareness of archival principles (and/or had subsequent family owners known more about caring for paintings), we might not be facing the question of whether or not we can afford to save these paintings for future generations of our family. Please note that we’re facing this issue nearly 120 years (not 30 years) after they were painted.

It has taken a couple of generations for my aunt’s paintings to be appreciated.

The Artist's Father
Lillian Spencer (1862-1957)
Oil on linen, c. 1887, 18½" x 15½"

If these paintings survive beyond my generation, their sentimental value to subsequent generations will likely continue to grow.

For the bulk of artists whom fame
eludes but who leave behind a body of good, solid work, their paintings will be most cherished by their descendants two, three or more generations hence. Sadly, these descendants likely will be
poorly equipped to deal knowledgeably or financially with the consequences of poor archival practice. And, tragically, all too often paintings that could have given pleasure for generations more will have to be abandoned for reasons that could probably have been avoided when they
were painted.

If the idea of giving increasing pleasure down the generations to come gives you pleasure, I believe the small extra effort and expense that following reasonable archival principles requires is really worth it.

Walt Whitman
Lillian Spencer (1862-1957)
Oil on linen, c. 1885, 16" x 20"

For me, archival principles are not
particularly complicated and are broad enough to be followed without much, if any, sacrifice of artistic expression.

I think of these principles in terms of (1) Physical Soundness,
(2) Chemical Soundness,
(3) Reversibility,
(4) Documentation and
(5) Caution.

My thoughts here are based on my
experience as a painter with an interest in archival matters, not a conservation expert. In the end I put artistic considerations ahead of archival ones. “The painting that will last indefinitely is the one that was never painted in the first place.”

The following comments apply to small plein air oil paintings. Archival issues with respect to larger paintings, ones painted over time in the studio, and/or using other media would invite a more extensive discussion.

Physical Soundness – This refers to the painting support, its ability to withstand mechanical damage, and the strength of the physical bond between the paint and the surface it is applied to. Also of concern is protection of the painting surface from dirt and pollution.

I believe that the most important archival consideration is protection of the painting from mechanical damage. Frames provide protection—I never part with a painting without quality framing. Small paintings are more resistant to damage than large ones. Paintings painted (or mounted) on rigid panels are more likely to last.

My first choice for a rigid panel is untempered hardboard (“Masonite”) - I think 1/8” is okay up to 12” x 16”. I believe that there is no reason to paint on real wood (and several reasons not to) unless you want the color and grain of the wood to show in the painting—then my choice is wood veneer on MDF.

For a lightweight painting or mounting support, I prefer 100% rag museum board (which I mount to Masonite before framing). Other more rigid lightweight mounting choices include Gatorfoam®,
Coroplast® or DiBond® - but I would isolate the painting with a layer of museum board.

If I paint on a fabric support, I mount it to museum board (which I also mount to Masonite before framing). Cotton canvas, linen, burlap and polyester duck (primed
or raw) can all be mounted on rigid panels. The adhesive should be reversible, and canvas or linen which is sized with rabbit skin glue should never be adhered with a
water-based glue.

The strength of the bond between
the paint, the ground and the support is important. A surface with some “tooth” is always advisable - it is essential that
Masonite be well sanded before applying a ground. For oil painting, I prefer nonwater based grounds on panels to avoid warping. I recommend oil ground for masonite, linseed oil, alkyd resin thinned with mineral spirits for real wood, and for museum board (this is my personal archival heresy) I use one of the synthetic resin varnishes on museum board (below). The varnish seals the pores of the museum board enough to reduce the porosity
and may help protect the paper. This is a surface I enjoy using with a combination of oil paints and pencil.

For acrylics, I would use acrylic “gesso” or medium for the above surfaces. I have occasionally used “true” gesso (made with rabbit skin glue and marble dust - like Gamblin Gesso) on panels - what a stunning surface to paint on with oils!

Driveway
Livermore, CO
Carl Judson © 2001
Oil and pencil on museum board, 7½" x 10".

Like many painters, I have experimented with grounds prepared with acrylic paint or palette scrapings (above right) - I
know neither is a good idea from an archival standpoint. However, if one is ever going to get away with such practices it will probably be with small paintings mounted
on rigid panels.

Bicycle
Quetzaltenango, Guatamala
Carl Judson © 1993
Oil on linen, 4½" x 7½".

A final varnish protects the painting surface from dirt and pollution and makes the painting easier to clean in the future. A state-of-the-art varnish is Gamblin Gamvar™, based on a formula developed at the National Gallery of Art.

Chemical Soundness – Some paints are chemically incompatible with many common painting supports (oil paint and canvas, for example). Sizes and grounds are used to isolate incompatible materials from one another. The high acid content of oil paints, wood and wood by-products (like cardboard), and most adhesives will damage fabric and paper supports, if not protected by the paper’s sizing.

The best paper for artwork is made from 100% cotton rag. Wood pulp based papers eventually self-destruct because of their acidity.

“Chemically unsound” could include the use of oil paints directly on paper or using the common,
inexpensive canvas-covered boards (made from canvas glued to cardboard). Another common example is stretched canvas where the canvas is in contact along its edges with the wood stretcher
bars, which are very high in acid, and the canvas becomes seriously weakened over time where it is in contact with the wood. Paintings on stretched canvas eventually require restoration that usually results in mounting on a rigid panel.

Reversibility – In the event that something goes wrong with the physical or chemical structure of the painting (due to accident, water damage, age, etc.), it is important to be able to remove the painting from its support as much as possible. Nonreversible adhesives, regardless of quality,
are best avoided in most cases.

I think a fundamental archival principle when using adhesives is reversibility. Most adhesives sold as “archival” are not reversible;
moreover, they are usually poly-vinylacetates (PVA) that turn acidic with time.

I am familiar with three reversible, archival adhesives: (1) Water-soluble, water-activated rabbit skin glue, (2) Watersoluble,
solvent-activated Lascaux 498HV
and (3) Solvent-soluble, heat-activated Beva 371 film.

For many applications, the water reversibility of rabbit skin glue may be as much a liability as an advantage where dampness can cause damage. Lascaux 498HV can either be used as an aqueous adhesive or be solvent activated - I use it regularly gluing down finished paintings that I have painted on un-stretched canvas. The Beva 371 film can also be used for this purpose and for gluing down new canvas to panels - with reasonable care, it can be activated with a household iron.

Documentation – Some notes can be attached to the painting in a permanent manner. Information as to materials used (grounds, varnishes, adhesives, etc.) can help avoid unnecessary cost or error during restoration. Also, basic care instructions similarly attached can help owners extend the life of a painting.

To aid possible future conservation efforts, I place a label (using Lascaux 498HV) on the back of the painting panel. This label (in addition to title, date, size, etc.) specifies the type of support and adhesives used, the painting ground, and the date and type of final varnish.

Caution – Traditional materials and techniques are known quantities. Deviating from tradition involves risk. Modern materials should be used with caution and some knowledgeable assessment of their probable archival properties.

Future conservation problems may be quite different from those of the past and probably more complicated. Many of the relatively few “traditional” art materials are being replaced (because of various drawbacks) by a host of new materials such as water soluble oils, paint fillers, PVA sizing, synthetic papers, and polyester canvas.

Many of the materials we oil painters use today are not “traditional” - they are new materials whose long-term properties are not known and can only be guessed. This is risky business, so it makes sense to me to be skeptical, reasonably informed on archival issues, and to use the best materials available.