How do I care for an oil painting canvas?

Keep the canvas away from direct sunlight and sudden shifts in room temperature to prevent the paint from cracking. Dust the surface gently with a soft dry brush and avoid using any liquids or household cleaning products.

What is the difference between an original and an after work?

An original period work was painted during the lifetime of the artist or within their active school and era. A work created 'after' an artist is a later study or reproduction painted by another hand to honour the composition.

How can I tell the age of a frame?

Period frames often display hand-carved wooden elements and genuine gold leaf applied over traditional gesso layers. Later or replacement frames may show machine-cut joins or modern composition materials beneath the gilt surface.

Where were these paintings displayed historically?

Large mythological scenes and grand portraits hung in the panelled reception rooms and galleries of country houses. Smaller still lifes and landscape panels decorated private studies and drawing rooms across Europe.