In the October issue of The Artist's Magazine, a letter from James Caldwell presented an amateur's procedure, derived from an old set of Encyclopedia Brittanica, for repairing a tear in a painting. Mr. Caldwell was responding to an Ask the Experts column I'd written for the March 07 issue; in answering a question about repairing an oil painting that had been cut, I'd advised the reader to consult a professional conservator. The editor of The Artist's Magazine asked me to respond to Mr. Caldwell; here is my response (a slightly shorter version will be printed in the December issue of The Artist's Magazine).

I am reminded of the attention-catching idea used to advertise a popular chain of motels that touts the main character in the commercial as one who has received a jolt of expert knowledge because he/she experienced an overnight stay in one of the advertiser’s facilities. In the end the obvious is revealed and the viewer can laugh at the creative effort of the author of the commercial.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with the advice given on the conservation of works of art as described in the letter to the editor. I shudder to think of all of the unfortunate readers who might be foolish enough to embark on following this advice and ruin a painting that could have been repaired by skilled hands.

This “one size fits all” form of advice ignores the fact that problems with works of art are filled with variables that influence the method of treatment selected. For example, a painting with heavy impasto is treated one way while a canvas with a smooth surface is handled another way. Obviously, accidentally torn canvas will not take place in a uniform way and the method used to attack each type of puncture and cut made to a painting can be different. The position of the tear, the frayed ends of the canvas, the loss of paint, etc., all play a part in formulating a treatment plan. Specialized knowledge and experience is needed to sort out the important factors and customize the treatment based on the variables encountered.

The central point that is most disturbing about this letter on repairing a tear is the assumption that little to no knowledge of conservation is required in order to make complex repairs to works of art.  This is an antiquated idea dating back to when conservation was simply an artist who repaired works of art by means that would make modern conservators cringe. Today, conservators start their careers with an undergraduate degree in art history and studio art with a concentration in chemistry. Then they spend a year or two of apprentice training with an experienced conservator learning about the methods and materials used to treat works of art. After that, they apply to graduate programs in conservation where they spend two years studying conservation. This is followed by a one-year internship at a museum or other institution where they are assigned practical treatments that perfect their skills. Most conservators go on to spend 3 years in post-graduate study via fellowship opportunities at museums.

It is absurd to think that an encyclopedia article can replace 5 to 7 years of intense training followed by a career of work experience. This is especially frustrating when the advice is filled with errors.  For those curious to know, beeswax alone is not the answer to repairing a tear. At best, the repair will undo itself shortly and, at worst, the patch will show through. As a bonus, if enough beeswax is applied to make the patch firmly stick to the back of the painting, the heat applied can allow the wax to seep through the tear and disfigure the front of the painting, as well as adhere the painting to the table used for the treatment. If this home repair is attempted, an artist may face the headache and expense of both repair of the original tear and the removal of wax from the surface of the painting. The lesson that should be learned is do not work beyond your level of skill and understanding. Things can go horribly wrong when following generalized instructions, especially if the instructions are wrong from the start.

Reading the formula for amateur repairing of tear in oil paintings begs the analogy to the medical world. What if your doctor told you that you needed a fairly simple operation but that the procedure would cost you a lot of money? Ignoring the academic training and experience of a skilled surgeon, if you could obtain instructions for the operation from a surgical textbook, would you ask a family member who was “good with their hands” to perform the surgery to save the cost of the treatment?  The same holds true for conservation of works of art.  Do-it-yourself surgery and conservation both come to the same bad end.