Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-04-15
HOUSEHOLD.
THOSE OIL PAINTINGS.

ammoDial
Don't use sand soap or washing
powder, or kerosene, or I've!
Don't touch them with paint, unless I
absolutely necessary!
These don'ts are all needed because
MANY picture has been spoiled IN {
these ways. In fact, even gooo,
greasy Chicago dirt on picture IS
less harmful than most OF the Things
used in cleaning them. The recent
fashion of putting glass over picture
to keep dust out frequently Keeps
dampness in. So not only may 1t be
the worst enemy of pictures, but 1t
ALWAYS interferes with the pleasure or
looking at them. 1t has, however,
the one advantage of keeping the
amateur and unauthorized cleaner
from spelling them. The owners OF
valuable paintings should strictly for
bid their being touched except with
a silk handkerchief kept for that
purpose.
Even artists sometimes destroy |
pictures while trying experiments. |
The only safe way is to hnd an ex-
perienced cleaner, preferably an
artist who has found it more profit
! able to restore other painters PIC
tures than to make his own. lie
should bring testimonials as TO MS
successful treatment of pictures sur
fering from various kinds of injury
fire. dampness, tearing, inexperienced
restorers and the application of I'M
godly substances to the picture.
Such a man can be trusted, but no
other should be. Swain Clifford, an
artist who imagined himself capable
of cleaning pictures, undertook to DO
it to one of his own where the varnlsh
had hardened like Pharaoh's heart.
He tried a mixture of alcohol and
turpentine. Suddenly the canvas
turned as white as chalk, and he had
to repaint the picture for the owner.
The family of ex-governor Clifford
of Massachusetts had painting
which, bought in Paris, was fret
soaked in salt water by the sinking
of the steamer and afterwards coated
with an inch or two of coal dust after
a two months exposure on a wharf.
1t was a huge canvas repre- sentlng
an categorical figure of justice. Gift
ford was appealed to, but perhaps
discouraged by his former experience,
! declined. The job was therefore en-
; trusted to professional. He removed
i the cushions and cloth of billiard
I table, spread the canvas upon it and
washed it fifty times. Alarmed at the
look of things, a member of the fam
ilv asked him: "Will you be respon'
y sible for the picture?"
9 "Certainly not" replied the restor
, er. 1.-TWO months of soaking ant
L standing on a coal wharf may have
destroyed it entirely. I'm only in
q vestigating."
On reaching the surface of TIT
: picture it was found to have beer
painted on bedticking sized with glu
p and whiting. The long soaking hat
O dissolved the glue, leaving the pictur
only thin crust Of paint entirel.
c: detached from the canvas. This crus
was carefully rolled up, face outward
a. and then unrolIed upon new canva
.; coated with glue which was sti
ELI warm. Then the whole was CAREFUL
rolled with rollers as though it was
10 photograph just pasted on care
~ The picture was found quite unin
jured, requiring not even the touc
OIL. of brush.
gg The frequent retoucbing of pic
ture with brush is prohibitio
81 even a professional cleaner would d
Ell we'll to observe. Good pictures al
NV not unfre quently spoiled by it. Eve
es' when a new background is needle
- the rest of the picture should not
p. touched if it is possible to avoid it.
- One is inclined to believe in the m;
ot terial in which one works. A coo
} slaps butter Or soda on burn;
ra, farmer applies moist earth to ii
sting of wasp; musician tries
of cure st. Vitus dance with music.
ng Chicago picture was discovered
have lost the brilliancy of its Califo
err MIA sky. 1t had been cleaned wi
er' washing powder.
,eS.
los But for the etcher, engraver a.
hi photographer, the painter certain
od would stand a poor show, exposed
res. his work is to fire, food, and t
"clean devil" that takes indiscrin
eli. nate possession of some people. w
and destroy what one has spent dolls
'ar. on, with few cents of "cleanin
: ~ and none of the sense called commo
rr,->axa<a hooa oil the Uarnir