Looking after an original painting or print at home

An original painting or print needs very little looking after, but the little it needs matters. These are the things we would tell anyone taking a piece home.

Keep it out of direct sun

Sunlight is the biggest enemy of anything on paper. Inks and papers fade, and paper can yellow, if a print hangs where the sun falls on it every afternoon. Paintings are tougher, but even they are happier out of strong direct light. A wall facing a window rather than beside it is usually best.

Not too damp, not too hot

Avoid bathrooms, kitchens near the cooker, and the wall above a radiator or a wood burner. Damp can bring spots of mould to paper, and heat and rapid changes in temperature make canvases slacken and tighten and paper ripple. An outside wall in an old, cold house can be damp too: if in doubt, a couple of small cork pads on the back corners lets air circulate behind the frame.

Frame work on paper properly

Prints, drawings and paintings on paper are best framed behind glass, with a mount so the paper never touches the glass. Ask your framer for acid-free mount board and backing, and for the work to be hinged rather than glued down, so it can be taken out again without harm. Glass that cuts out ultraviolet light is worth asking about for a piece in a bright room.

Hang it securely

Use two hooks rather than one for anything large: the picture hangs level and the weight is shared. A big canvas or panel needs a proper wall fixing, not a picture pin. Hang work at a height where the middle of the picture is roughly at eye level; in a room where people sit, a little lower.

Cleaning

Dust a painting now and then with a soft, dry brush. Never use water, cloths or cleaning sprays on the paint surface. Clean the glass of a framed print with the cleaner sprayed onto the cloth, not onto the glass, so nothing runs down under the frame.

Moving it

Carry a painting by the sides of the frame or stretcher, never by the top. If you are moving house, wrap it with card over the corners and keep it upright.

If you have a question about a piece you bought from us, or are not sure where one would hang best, get in touch.