How do I care for an oil painting on canvas?

Keep the piece away from direct sunlight and fluctuating humidity to prevent the canvas from slackening and the oil paint from cracking. Dust the surface gently with a soft, dry brush without applying pressure. Avoid using water, chemical cleaners, or damp cloths on the painted surface. Professional conservators should handle any deeper cleaning or varnish removal.

How can I tell the age of a canvas painting?

Examine the wooden stretcher frames, tacking margins, and the type of canvas weave utilised behind the composition. Older works often feature hand-planed wood, square-cut nails, and coarse linen textures. Look also at the craquelure pattern within the paint layer, which develops naturally as oil medium ages and hardens. Signatures, exhibition labels, and framer stamps on the reverse offer additional chronological clues.

What is the difference between Impressionist and modernist styles?

Impressionist works prioritize the atmospheric effects of natural light and optical colour mixing using visible brushstrokes. They generally retain a recognizable connection to observed landscapes and figures. Modernist pieces push further into abstraction, simplification, and subjective colour choices. Forms are often reduced to essential geometric shapes to emphasise the physical surface of the canvas over strict realism.

Were these paintings always framed?

Most oil paintings on canvas were created with an intended frame to protect the fragile edges and complete the visual presentation. Original frames often match the historical period of the artwork itself. Some mid-century and modernist works were framed in simple floating mouldings or left unframed to highlight the raw canvas edges. The presence of period framing frequently enhances the integrity of the piece.