Damaged and dirty paintings can be restored with the proper tools and technology.
Over time, paintings can become covered with dust and smoke or damaged through decay or improper handling. Cleaning and repair is required to restore paintings to their former condition. The process of cleaning and restoring a painting is delicate and requires training and the proper tools. In recent years, technology has been developed that can assist with painting restoration.
Traditional Tools
Soft brushes are used to clean the surface of paintings and remove dirt and dust particles that rob a painting of its bright color and clarity. Cotton swabs can be used to remove dirt or apply varnish remover. By removing yellowed and cracked varnish, restorers expose clean, bright paint and can then apply a new coat of varnish. Surgical blades are used for gentle and precise scraping and can aid in the removal of varnish. Ultraviolet lights are now commonly used to illuminate overpainting (a section of the painting that has been painted over more recently than other sections) and areas that have been repaired, which can help the restorer determine the best way to clean and restore a painting without causing further damage.
Laser Ablation
Engineers have developed a process that uses lasers to remove dirt, soot and varnish from paintings. A laser's tightly focused and adjustable beam of light can be used to heat dirt and varnish on the surface of a painting without damaging the paint beneath. The heat created by the laser beam causes the dirt and varnish to be expelled, a process referred to as ablation. Laser ablation is much more precise than using traditional hand tools.
SatScan
In a joint venture between two companies in Cambridge, England, the SatScan, a sophisticated computer imaging system has recently been used to see beneath layers of paint in several centuries-old works of art. By using a combination of visible, infrared and UV lights, SatScan can see beneath the surface of a painting. The high-resolution images taken of each layer of paint can then be used as a guide when restoring the painting.
Bacteria
Paintings with large cracks or painted on porous materials (such as Italian frescoes) can be difficult to clean properly. Solvents sometimes eat away at old paint and cannot be used for fear of damaging the art. Engineers have discovered the bacteria Pseudomonas stutzeri can help in these circumstances by eating many of the pollutants commonly found on paintings. Bacteria applied to a painting will eat away dirt, dust and soot in a matter of hours, leaving the paint completely unharmed.
