Framing and Hanging

 

 

Since framing and hanging paintings and works of art on paper is the most common way of display, it is important that framing be viewed not only as decorative, but also as the first line of defense in the conservation of the works.

 

Frames can absorb blows which would otherwise seriously injure the work, provide protection from handling, provide a grip for handling and protect the work from man-induced accidents, vandalism, environmental damage and other related hazards. With the foregoing advantages, it may seem strange at first blush that many conservators see more damage from unskilled framing than from any other source.

 

In addition to the decorative and conservation aspects of framing, original artists' frames may OR MAY NOT provide valuable art historical and artistic information. Many artists view framing as unnecessary; others see it only as a necessary evil to help sell their works while yet others see the frame as an important and integral extension of their artistic expression. For these reasons, careful deliberation and art historical research are advised before changing an artist's original frame. In some instances, it is an acceptable compromise to replace the artist's frame with a frame of one's own choosing while carefully storing the original frame for later reinstallation. There is, however, a risk of losing the frame once it is separated from the work. In any event, these are decisions best reached with advice from art historians or conservators intimately familiar with the artist's techniques, intentions and views.

 

TYPES OF FRAMES

 

It is important to remember that types and styles of frames are related but often independent subjects. While there are hundreds of styles, there are only a few basic frame types characterized as: float mount frames for paintings; rabbet frames for both paintings and paper; and interchangeable frames used primarily for graphics. Traditional rabbet frames are most appropriate for works where the main subject of the picture is inset from the edge of either canvas or paper support, enabling the rabbet to overlap the work's edges without serious imposition upon the subject. For example, few landscapes or portraits will suffer from a rabbet concealing the final one-quarter inch on each edge. However, losing that last one-quarter inch on many contemporary paintings may seriously alter the picture; for these a float mount frame which leaves the edges exposed yet still provides substantial protection for the picture will be more appropriate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There will be a few instances where the artist has continued a painting onto his own slot frame or around the edge of the stretcher. Normally, one would not use a frame with these, as it will seriously interrupt the artist's vision.

 

Works on paper, where the artist has extended his graphic to the very edges, are often successfully float mounted within a window mat, which, in turn, can be installed within a rabbet or interchangeable frame.

 

It may be useful to know that a skilled craftsman can often either enlarge or reduce the size of a valuable frame to fit a particular picture. Here again, discretion must be exercised because many period frames have both enormous and increasing value in their own right. Altering them can totally destroy them as works of art and valuable objects.

 

INSTALLING ART INTO FRAMES

 

Painting

 

A few simple framing procedures will insure the painting is protected rather than damaged by its frame.

 

First, it is important that the frame is physically isolated from any painted surface. The rabbet should never touch the painting because the constant vibration of the rabbet against the painting will gradually cut through the paint layer, causing oxidation of the gesso layer and consequent peeling and flaking. In extreme cases, this flaking can extend, over time, several inches into the image. Some framers line rabbets with a soft material to cushion the rabbet against the paint. However, moisture trapped in the cushion can cause the paint or varnish to adhere to the rabbet. It is often difficult or impossible for a conservator to separate the two without damaging the painting.
 

 

Better than using a cushioning material, edge strips can be installed to stop the painting from coming in contact with the frame. It is important that the strips are fabricated from non-corrosive, chemically inert material to avoid possible damage. Alternatively, mending plates can be used by skilled framers to mount the painting away from the frame. Increasingly, more framers are learning these techniques.

 

Insulated, impact-resistant and waterproof backs are invaluable for the long-term health of paintings. Recent research by The National Gallery in Washington D.C. shows that solid coverings (without "air holes") can extend the life of a painting and diminish the need for conservation by many decades. By constructing the back of a solid inert material having water-resistant and insulating qualities, one protects the painting's back surface against accidental  impact while moving or hanging the work, from moisture temperature extremes radiated through the walls, and from overhead leaks flowing down interior walls.

 

 

 

 

Works on Paper

 

Again, it is very important to seek a skilled conservation framer; one who has been specifically trained in special hinging, matting, and framing technology designed to reduce  the possibility of damage and deterioration of two-dimensional works of art. A conservation framer will use acid-free materials for all phases of matting, hinging and mounting the work. Although new and improved products are constantly being developed, to date no suitable alternative exists to hinging with Japanese paper and purified starch paste. Archival photo mounting corners made of acid free paper or polyester film is also acceptable mounts for some small and medium sized works on paper. The weight of the paper's own bulk can cause serious damage in larger pieces mounted with photo corners. You may wish to consider having a conservator apply the hinges before giving the work to your framer; terrible and often irreversible damage can be inflicted with inept hinging.

 

Textiles

 

Flat textiles can be framed, but framing must take into account that textiles exhibit all of the difficulties of paper; something to be expected, as many papers are made of rag. Textiles, like rag-based papers, grow mold in high humidity, dissipate and embrittle in low humidity and fade and embrittle in light.

 

REMEMBER:

• Use a competent conservator framer. Acrylic is the best glazing for most textiles; use UV filtering acrylic.
• Archaeological textiles are best glazed with glass, preferably one of the new heat tempered safety glasses with anti-reflective coating and UV-filtering.
• Sealed systems are ideal for framing textiles.

 

GLAZING PAINTINGS AND WORKS ON PAPER

 

Paintings

 

Glazing paintings has long been frowned upon. But, the development of new "water clear" glass (without the green tint of previous glass) and its use in strong heat-tempered safety glass with anti-reflective coatings is causing us to reexamine our bias. Most certainly, glazing should be considered for safety when lending to exhibitions (See also: Lewis, Chapter XIV, Packing and Shipping, page 90). If the decision to use glazing is reached, under no circumstances can the glazing be allowed to physically contact the painting's surface. Glazing of any kind should be at least one-quarter of an inch from the work.

 

Works on Paper

 

As with paintings, water proof and thermal insulated backings should be applied to the rear of framed works on paper. The choice of glass or acrylic for glazing will depend upon several factors, especially now that safety glass gives as much protection against ultra-violet radiation damage as the UV filtering acrylics. The new anti-reflective coatings reduce glass reflection by 90% or more and can significantly improve visibility of the work, but it is heavier than acrylic. Acrylic may also have a slight edge over safety glass in impact resistance, but acrylic does develop a static electric charge, which can lift fragile media, such as graphite, charcoal, pastel and some gouaches, off the paper's surface. Standard acrylic does scratch easily, but there is now a quartz coating for acrylics, which is nearly as scratch resistant as glass.

 

Regardless of manufacturer's claims, it is important to remember that the use of glazing as protection from ultra-violet radiation fading is never complete protection. Ultra-violet filtering materials prolong the life of an object, but they do not completely stop fading. Additionally, while UV can be greatly diminished, there are other parts of the light spectrum (notably the near-blue range) which are known to cause massive damage over a long time span and which cannot yet be successfully filtered. It is still advisable to hang works away from strong natural light. Never forget that light damage is cumulative (each exposure to light causes a little more damage which slowly accumulates) and irreversible. There is no conservation cure for it.

 

MICROCLIMATES AND SEALED SYSTEMS

 

Paintings on canvas and panel and art on paper are hygroscopic in nature. That means they absorb and give off humidity in harmony with changes of humidity in their ambient environment. When this happens, hygroscopic materials physically enlarge as they take on moisture and shrink as moisture evaporates from them. This constant expansion and contraction (called dimensional change) is now recognized as a major source of physical deterioration (called dimensional stress) of both the support and the artistic media upon it. With recognition of the damage caused by hygroscopic properties has come the discovery that stabilizing the ambient humidity will stabilize the paper, wood and canvas and surface media, thereby reducing their relative degeneration. The concept of passive microclimates has evolved from this recognition.

 

A painting microclimate is a hermetically sealed case (of acrylic or stainless steel) specifically constructed to fit snugly around the painting installed within it. The front of the case is glass or acrylic and the entire case fits into the painting's frame in such a manner that the viewer does not see the case, only the painting. Behind the painting, and isolated from it by a barrier, is a chemical such as silica gel, which stabilizes and maintains a predetermined level of humidity within the case. This, in turn, stabilizes the painting by preventing expansion and contraction of the wood, canvas or paper. Normally, the case is 1/8 inch longer than the width and height of the painting and 1/4 inch thicker than the painting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A similar concept called sealed systems has evolved for works on paper. Because most works on paper are extremely thin, sealed systems can be constructed from the frame's glazing itself, acid free board, Mylar and one of the new aluminum tapes with acrylic adhesive. Very simple and inexpensive, sealed systems not only afford extraordinary protection, but they can also provide specialized humidity control for unusual needs, such as albumin print photographs and parchment.

 

HANGING DEVICES AND HANGING

 

For a conservator, poorly selected and installed hanging devices and poorly hung pictures represent the second greatest source of damage to paintings and works of art on paper. In almost all cases, the damage could have been avoided had the framer used the following techniques:

 

 

Painting and Work of Art on Paper

 

The primary hanging device for paintings and works on paper should be "D" rings attached to the side rails of the frame. For greatest effectiveness, there should be at least two rings (one on each side) and each should be strong enough to support the weight of the total work should the other fail. On extremely large and heavy pieces, four or six "D" rings can be applied down the side rails to help distribute the weight on the wall. An insufficient number of these can result in portions of the wall being torn away by the weight of the painting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When choosing a "D" ring to support your work of art, it is essential to select one that has an upward bend as shown in the illustration. Other types tend to be weak and separate easily under stress and weight. With all art works, it is best if the framer  reinforces the area of the frame into which the "D" rings will be attached with a marine epoxy capable of penetrating the cellular structure of the wood and consolidating it into a strong plastic resin.

 

The fragility of antique frames presents a special series of problems: namely, how to have the desiccated and fragile wood support the overall weight of the painting. Often, a secondary metal support can be constructed which will then be screwed  on to the antique frame from the rear and hidden by the frame itself. The hanging devices can then be attached to and supported by the metal structure.

 

Contemporary paintings and works on paper which are meant to remain unframed can be hung in much the same  way as traditionally framed paintings except that the "D" rings must be attached into the stretcher side bars rather than upon a frame. Again, epoxy  consolidation of the wood surrounding the "D" ring is valuable.

 

It is useful in all framing systems to have several bumpers of cork or wood placed on the reverse to keep the frame from directly touching the wall and allowing air to circulate behind it. In the event of a water leak from an upper floor, bumpers will also allow the water to flow down around the frame rather than into it.

 

Wire for Hanging

 

A short note about wire is in order here; if wire must be used, the wire of choice is braided stainless steel coated with nylon. This gives superb strength and is galvanically overactive with other
metals used for installations. Copper wire and nylon cordage, both stretch and can be cut by hanging devices. Kevlar and other wire-like materials are too untested to consider.

 

Lightweight pictures can be hung with wire, but it is important to have your framer use the above-mentioned wire and install it with clamping devices rather than the traditional wrapping or tying techniques. These provide maximum strength and will not have the failures associated with traditional soft iron picture wires. Additionally, as prefabricated brass hanging devices become more popular, we are seeing cases of galvanic reaction where the soft iron wires are galvanically rusted through by the brass hooks; the wires then bread and the picture falls. Therefore, we strongly advise against the use of iron wires.

 

Wall Attachments

 

The prefabricated brass hooks described in the above paragraph have become commonplace and are both easy to install and effective. But buyers should be aware of the low-grade iron nails that often come with brass hooks, as the moisture in a wall (especially a plaster wall) will attack and corrode the iron nails quickly. It is best to select a stainless steel nail of similar size to replace the manufacturer’s original iron nail.

The complexities of different types of wall structures and compositions make it desirable to select a professional to install the hanging device and its appropriate hardware. Illustrative of this is that there are over 500 different types of fasteners for concrete wall along, and each has it own specialized use.

 

CLEANING FRAMES AND GLAZING

 

Painting frames must be cleaned with great care, using only a camel hair brush to gently dust the frame. It is important that the brush not touch the surface of contemporary paintings, as many of then are unvarnished and dust and badly stain the painting. Under no circumstances should a household cleaner containing any liquid, whatsoever, be used on a frame. A conservator who is well trained in gilded and delicate surfaces should undertake further cleaning.

Works on paper should be handled similar to paintings when delicate frames are involved. However, plain frames (with no ornamentation) can be lightly cleaned with a cotton cloth. Glazing surfaces must be cleaned carefully with the following procedure: lightly spray a soft, 00% cotton cloth with a vinegar-based glass cleaner (under no circumstances should ammonia-based cleaners be used, and cloths containing polyester or other man-made fibers can scratch the glazing surface with repeated use). The cloth must be lightly moistened, then lightly and carefully rubbed across the surface of the glazing. Never spray glass cleaner directly upon the glass, as it will drip down between the frame and the glass and wick into the work on paper. The foregoing method will work well on both acrylic and glass.

 

FRAME DAMAGE

 

General

 

Breakage and other damage will usually manifest itself readily, but it is important to occasionally check frames to be sure that the corners are not separating, which can a picture to fall from the frame and sustain serious damage. Generally, separations can be easily fixed with an L-shaped metal mending plate installed into the frame with screws. In the case of very valuable frames, one should see a conservator or specialist in frame repair for appropriate treatment.

 

Infestation

(Refer to Amann, Chapter VI, Wooden Sculptures, page 55; and Stair, Chapter VII, Furniture, page 59)