Engineers team up with artists to preserve paintings

Researchers at the University of Warwick and the Courtauld Institute of Art have used advanced computer modelling based on that used for tensioned fabric structures, such as the Millennium Dome, to help preserve old artwork.

The joint project, led by Professor Wanda Lewis of Warwick’s School of Engineering and Dr Christina Young of the Conservation and Technology Department at the Courtauld Institute, has resulted in the development of a computer-modelling package that predicts the shape of fabric enclosures very accurately.

Professor Lewis said, “I realised that we can apply the same modelling principles to predict the behaviour of artists’ canvas which is simply a different material and structure.”

According to Dr Young, a Senior Lecturer in Paintings Conservation, when conservators restore a severely degraded painting, they may attach new fabric to the reverse.

This fabric is then re-stretched and attached to a wooden stretcher, which extends the paintings stability and enables it to be displayed for longer.

Professor Lewis went on to say that, “We can model every detail down to the number and position of the staples used, friction of the fabric, the effectiveness of the staples, and the detail of how the fabric is wrapped around the corner.

“The results of our work can bring about significant improvements in the methods of tensioning the canvas to ensure as uniform distribution of stress as possible.

“Jointly with the Courtauld, we aim to predict the effectiveness of temperature and humidity on the behaviour of fabrics. We can then predict where there are potential areas of damage, avoiding the risk of disaster.”

It is hoped that the new innovations developed from this research will significantly help improve conservation treatments for paintings on canvas.

Additionally, it will enable artists to find a fabric that is suitable for longevity.

The results of the research are now on show at the International Digital Laboratory, run by Warwick Manufacturing Group.