Cracking Canvas

[happycamper]

My customer came in with a painting on fabric from South America, done with who know what kind of paint. While waiting a very long time for a Resin frame, the canvas developed 2 small cracks. She has returned the work saying the cracks (now larger )are my fault (it is very, very dry here) and that I need to fix them. I am by no means an artist, but will become one to get this baby out the door. I need to fix this and need some suggestions...... Any cracks at her place are her fault!!!

 

[wvframer]

I suspect you know that the best thing is to send it to a conservator. And if you aren't an artist, you are probably going to compound your problem if you attempt it yourself. You can probably hire an artist, but the way to end the pain is to hire a conservator.

If it is a fairly new painting and not in a complicated place on the canvas, it will probably be a relatively inexpensive fix. About what the first hour of your lawyer's time will cost. And then spend some more and buy a humidifier for your shop.

Paintings in particular, but all art can be as seriously damaged by low humidity as high. In as little as a day, you can do serious damage.
You can get a really good humidifier attached to your central heat installed for under a grand US from Honeywell. Go ahead, just ask me how I know.

Good luck. And seriously, think long and hard before doing this yourself. That way be dragons....

 

[Rob Markoff]

What was your scope of work?

Did you stretch the painting?

If so, did you use keyable bars or a strainer?

If you stretched it, did you use canvas pliers?

Before you took it in, did you do a written condition report using raking light?

Did the painting come to you rolled? Face in or out?

What kind of "cracks"? Are the edges of the "cracks" lifting (curving up away from the canvas?)

Did you apply a rigid backing like polypropylene under the dust cover? Is it lined with rag? (That is the Canadian Standard)

Did you line the rabbet of the frame with felt or volara?

"Any cracks at her place are her fault!!!" I'm afraid this may not be true. Answers to the questions above may help me tell you what is going on. Then they could also be latent vice and the rolling questions will also help me give you an answer.

Many times framers do things that do not manifest themselves as problems until much later.