Artwork Cleaning
What is it for?
Cleaning is often the first essential step in the art conservation process. This intervention, which may seem simple at first glance, actually requires considerable expertise and in-depth knowledge of the materials constituting the artwork. Its purpose is to remove grime accumulated on both the front and back of the artwork.
Vital care for your artworks
Over time, any artwork inevitably accumulates various layers of grime: atmospheric dust, soot, nicotine, grease, pollution residues… These deposits are not only unsightly, they represent a real threat to the artwork’s longevity.
Cleaning intervenes at two essential levels:
On the front of the artwork (paint layer)
Cleaning allows to:
- Recover the original readability of the artwork by eliminating the grayish veil that dulls the colors
- Reveal the artist’s true intention by making the brilliance and precise nuances of pigments reappear
- Eliminate harmful substances that could chemically alter the pictorial components over time
- Prepare the artwork for possible subsequent interventions (varnish removal, retouching…)
On the back of the artwork
Often neglected, cleaning the back is nevertheless crucial:
- Elimination of dust embedded in canvas fibers that promote moisture retention, as well as dust potentially lodged in the stretcher/canvas gap that can cause deformations
- Prevention of fungal development and biological attacks
- Improvement of support breathing, particularly important for contemporary artworks using sensitive materials
- Better visibility of inscriptions, stamps or labels that may have historical or documentary value
Particular expertise for modern and contemporary art
Cleaning modern and contemporary artworks presents specific challenges that I master perfectly at Atelier CROMA. These artworks are often characterised by:
- Various binders (acrylics, vinyls, alkyds) reacting differently to solvents
- Sometimes unvarnished surfaces and therefore more vulnerable
- Intentional texture effects that must be preserved (impasto, integration of various materials)
- Industrial pigments whose chemical stability differs from traditional pigments
How I proceed at Atelier CROMA
As a conservator specialized in contemporary art, I approach each cleaning with a rigorous and personalized methodology:
1. Preliminary analysis
- In-depth examination of the artwork under different lighting and magnification
- Precise identification of materials and their state of conservation
- Tests to determine products adapted to the specific nature of the artwork
- Photographic documentation before intervention
2. Intervention on the paint layer
I always favour the least invasive approach possible:
- Use of soft brushes and micro-tools adapted to surface fragility
- Selection of environmentally friendly products (aqueous gels, buffered solutions, biopolymers)
- Application of progressive methods, starting with the gentlest
- Work by limited zones with constant observation of results
3. Back treatment
- Meticulous dusting with HEPA filtration vacuums and soft brushes
- Cleaning adapted to the support (canvas, cardboard, wood, synthetic fibers…)
- Preservation of documentary elements (labels, inscriptions, stamps)
4. Follow-up and prevention
- Complete documentation of interventions performed
- Personalized advice for preventive conservation
- Exhibition recommendations adapted to the artwork’s sensitivity
Why choose Atelier CROMA for cleaning your artworks?
Atelier CROMA commits to offering a cleaning service combining technical excellence and respect for the artwork’s integrity:
Specific expertise in modern and contemporary art, with a fine understanding of industrial and experimental materials
Ecological approach favoring solutions with low environmental impact
Minimally invasive intervention techniques, respecting the original materiality of the artwork
Holistic vision of conservation, considering the artwork in its historical, aesthetic and material dimension
Cleaning, although often the first step of conservation, can sometimes be sufficient to restore an artwork’s full brilliance. In other cases, it constitutes the necessary foundation for more in-depth treatments.
Request a personalised estimate
Each artwork is unique and deserves particular attention. For a precise evaluation of your cleaning needs and an adapted estimate, I invite you to contact me. Together, we will determine the best approach to preserve and enhance your artistic heritage.