re-stretching a torn painting...need advice

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PEAVY

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Joined
Jul 27, 2002
Posts
313
Loc
Wichita Falls, TEXAS
Dear Framers,
I would love advice on how to restretch an oil canvas that has a tear smak in the middle. It is a large 4 ft. x 4 ft painting and poorly stretched to begin with. The customer wants to repair the tear and have the canvas restretched because it is saggy in the middle. I told the client that I am not trained in painting conservation and that I do not want to be liable for causing any more damage to the painting. The client wants to put her own hand to that.
so the question is.... repair first, then stretch? stretch, then let the client repair? do not touch it? or other options....
Thanks a Million!
 
The painting needs to be relined before stretching. Not a huge deal and having a conservator do it wouldn't be much more than the materials that need to be purchased for her to do it herself.
 
The tear needs to be repaired first. Depending on the size and shape of it, the canvas may need a patch or complete lining with new canvas. A conservator should be the one to assess the need and do the work. When I contract conservators to repair a torn or deteriorated canvas, they offer to stretch it for a very small additional charge, so I usually let them do the whole job.

PEAVY said:
...I told the client that I am not trained in painting conservation and that I do not want to be liable for causing any more damage to the painting. The client wants to put her own hand to that.
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Are you saying she wants to repair the tear herself? If so, then she is either a conservator or an uninformed owner willing to do more harm than good. If she were a conservator, she probably would stretch it herself after the repair.

If customer is doing the repair, I would not want to do the stretching.
 
A good canvas will tend to dent rather than tear. So when you do get one with a tear in it, it is a fair indication that the canvas has deteriorated. So rather than patching, complete relining is a good move.
 
Also understand that a patch any larger than an inch will change the surface tension of that area of the canvas - i.e., when you try to restretch it, you will likely get pull ripples radiating outward from the area of the patch.

Relining is really the best option.
 
Yep, a full reline by a conservator followed byretouching is the best way to go. Patching will usually create a patch-shaped lump as the glue sets and make a proper job that much harder.

If the customer is determined to try and do it herself that is her funeral - you don't want to be involved.
 
Just for everybody's information -if a painting (or a piece of paper) has not been lined, it might get lined; if it has been lined once already, but needs a different one, it gets RE-lined.

A conservator may decide that a patch is the answer.
 
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