Tear mending in modern canvas.
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BEFORE TREATMENT
tear in canvas of 6 cm wide: broken thread, deformed canvas, paint losses and pen |
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AFTER TREATMENT
flattening canvas, tear mending, retouching and pen removal
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Before working on the tear of the painting a mock-up
was made with similar textile (cotton) and several consolidants were tested.
Criteria for the glue were: working method, visibility, flexibility and strength. Glue based
on sturgeon glue and Jin Shofu glue was selected. It had the best properties
according to the criteria.
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| mock-up of cotton: glue, pincet, fibre glass lights |
Placing a milar, board and weights on it flatten the
deformation in the canvas around the tear for three weeks. As the textile is of
cotton, moist would not be an option. A big cardboard role was made and the
canvas was rolled around this face up. This way I could work on the tear from
the front side. The broken and stretched cotton threads were impregnated with the
sturgeon-Jin Shofu glue. The impregnation
improves the strength of the broken fibres. The weave was reconstructed using
pincers, needles and surgery instruments.
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| impregnation and re-ordening of the broken threads |
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| ordening the threads using a pincet |
The broken canvas is re-joined using the glue and the
hot needle. From the edges loose wires were taken and impregnated with the same
glue. Pieces of 4 cm and 3 cm were cut and glued on the backside in between the
wires of the textile to improve strength of the damaged area.
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| re-joined canvas thread |
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| backside: extra thread |
To complete the weave structure at the
frontside some toasted fibres (methyl cellulose) were added.
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| toasted fibres |
