tear mending

Tear mending in modern canvas.

BEFORE TREATMENT
tear in canvas of 6 cm wide: broken thread, deformed canvas, paint losses and pen 

AFTER TREATMENT
flattening canvas, tear mending, retouching and pen removal              

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. 

 

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.

impregnation and re-ordening of the broken threads

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.

re-joined canvas thread

backside: extra thread

To complete the weave structure at the frontside some toasted fibres (methyl cellulose) were added.

toasted fibres