lntroduction
from one museum to another in Spain, from
the Prado to the Reina Sofia.Judging from a video ofthe move and the
comments of those involved at the conference, it was a success. ln other
words,the painting was not damaged by transit.This paper will establish
that we should not be surprised by such a fact.Therefore, we can state
that another safe move is also possible.
On the other hand, there are many examples given in papers in
these proceedings about terrible experiences of art in transit, or more
precisely, of arc damaged during the process of moving from one wall in a
Guernico has already moved
without protective
87
J.lechanical risks
to large paintings
such
88
Stefd
F-igurc
The simple model of figure 3 has been used to calculate the diameter of
a roll that would be on the threshold of cracking oil paints of medium,
low, and very low flexibility.All the values for elongation at break are
taken from the work by the Smithsonian on artist's materials response
to "rapid" stretching, i.e., about ten seconds duration (Mecklenburg and
Tumosa, 199 l)."Medium" flexibility paint is taken as elongation at break
of 0.02, as measured for several l3 year old oil paints at 50%RH, 22.C.
"Low" flexibility paint is taken as elongation ar break of about 0.005, as
measured for lead white in safflower oil at 50%RH and 22.C, and as
measured for the medium flexibility paints when tested at cold and dry
conditions, -3"C and S%RH.Very low flexibility is taken as 0.00 l, as
measured for glue gessos.Although a glue gesso is not generally used on
canvas because it is so brittle, it is given as representative of very brittle
aged
or
lean paints.
ln table I, note that depending on paint type and thickness, one can
shift from a painting that can be safely rolled like a paper poster as seen in
ridiculous movies on art theft, to paintings that need huge tubes as used
for casting concrete pillars. Since an area of painting that was changed
several times will reach 0.5mm or more in paint thickness, then if
paintings such as Guernica were rolled in the past on tubes borrowed
from the carpet industry approximately I Scm diameter, they will crack. (ln
the table, the area in grey represents probable cracking on a I 5cm roll).
This is not to suggest that Guernico should be rolled in the future,
it is simply to explain that cracks in the thick paint areas were
predictable given the relatively small diameter tubes used in the past by
galleries.Those considering bending or rolling a large painting must
recognize that temperature and humidiry strongly affect the painting's
ability to bend and unbend without cracking.A medium flexibility paint
can become a low flexibility paint if cold and dry.The rolling and
unrolling should be performed as warm and humid as possible
(25'-30"C, 50%-70%RH.) Also, a painting with pronounced impasto may
have a higher stress concentration factor than that used for the table,
i.e., notches may bend more than twice as much as the average
curvature. Guernico has very little impasto.
90
has
/r"'$fr-."
Figure 3.
flodel of
bending stresses in a
paint layen lfthe radius of
curvature is R, diameter
D=2R, the thickness of
paint film is d, then the
strain e in the top ofthe
paint film is e=d/D.
Table
thin
layer of paint
Typical
for one
0.5mm thick
Typical for
paint
three
of paint
two or
thin layers
Very kidflexibiliry:
parm
(0.001,
elongation at break)
Low flexibility paint
(0.005,elongadon at
break). .
..
Mediurn ffexibilrty
paint {0.02 elengatlon
atbreak)
..:
.....'
rssumrng a moderate stress concentration factor x2 due to sliSht impasto or canvas weave.<
for painting
with impasto
Typical
been confirmed many times since, and was most recently outlined in the
Art inTronsit Hondbook (Mecklenburg and Richards, 199 l). ln brief, a
painting can be protected against humidity fluctuations during transit
simply by packing it inside a sealed polyethylene envelope. For extra
caution, the crate itself can be lined with polyethylene, and within this
92
throwing loose fragments into the air.A vibration study was performed
on an experimental painting made with an extremely brittle gesso on
linen (Michalski 199 l).The painting was vibrated at its fundamental
resonance frequency (25 Hz) with a source at lG.At resonance,the
center of the painting experienced about 20G. (Resonance typically yields
amplification of about x20).This lG source was equivalent to clamping
the painting to a truck floor and driving along a railway track.After 20
days and several million cycles,the painting was unaffected.A subsequent
93
Guernica during
trmsit
shock risk can be stated as follows: ensure that the maximum shock
experienced by the artwork in transit (measured in G) does not
exceed the fragility of the artwork (measured in G). Both have been
measured.To provide some frame of reference, it is useful to know that
the packaging industry has adopted the practical categories shown in
table
3.
94
Table 2. The effect of various damping techniques on the resonance of a large painting
in modern materials (l22cm x 152 cm,heavy cotton with acrylic gesso)
Resonant frequency
Movement of center of
from rest position
l.O,cm:.,.
l3
\n/i6,I-rt*onh.
1ltjth
fl yce{1p. !9.1pf
cm
i
1.5.!tn.
l'.3
l,F$qlg, ,**:,,,
'.3r,Diil1q4e,,,,
.,',., rr.:'.l:
l'.
":.
:,'4!*?tattirleteil
r,,,*,lt!*:Laj+lv:,9gigf,?, . , ,
5
6..&ugEed
"
tl'159l
''
. 40.60G.r .
,equrpr.rent
,
;, "" .,i:*:qtq.,",, r'
tHiqlta' ,: ,
omputet
..
Fiifnit[re
85.r,1,5G
Maihine..tools
llsc.+
Topple
Type
l;\cry i t, ,
fragile, no
backing
Edge
drop
Flat
drop
'!9ggr,eaerc.for:r",,
in urcracked sample
Corner drop
6sg; losges in
cracked sample.
board
!009'Fiist,!ixses
offlakes.
,.
,: :
'.;. , ,,
*r1".
f:il:v*"
Type2... li.r'r.80$lmmflake r'r" ..:.."...
Testwid1n.}''.,losses..:''inuncracked
backing board.
1009:Crackform
.:
,,,.
sample.
I
30g: Extensive
,l
losses.
,,,,
.: :' ...
2OOg(maximum ' ..
test): No damage
visible.
1.,.
..
to
l50G or higher.
Conclusions
This discussion is not about bad crates, bad shipping, bad handling'
bad exhibit preparation, absent backing boards. Each of these has caused
damage to artwork.They will undoubtedly cause more in the future, but
that is not the issue here.The issue is this: can reasonable cost crates'
available transit, reasonable handling, good exhibit PreParation, and
97
to old fragile
References
Ashley-Smith, J. ( 1999) Risk Assessment for Objea Conservotion.
(Butterworth-Heinemann: Oxford).
Booth, P (1989) Stretcher design: Problems and solutions. Ihe
Conservotor 13.31-40.
Green,T. ( 199 l) Vibration control: Paintings on canvas supports. Art in
Ironsit, Studies in theTronsport of Pointings. M.F. Mecklenburg ed.
59 -67 ..
98
El Guernica
y los problemas 6ticos y t6cnicos de la
manipulaci6n de obras de arte
Wili#i3it'flBorin