For over twenty years, in my own studio, I have sensitively conserved with minimum intervention, paintings, polychrome sculpture and frames to be admired for many decades to come.

It is vital that conservation is only undertaken wherever absolutely necessary to prevent further deterioration of the painted surface.
It is important to understand the difference between cleaning and retouching oil paintings on canvas, and the work of ensuring that the canvas is sufficiently strong to support the painting and to hold the paint in place.  This latter process is referred to as lining, as the old canvas is ‘lined’ with a new, stronger one.  Re-lining is where the process is carried out a second or subsequent time.

When assessing the amount of conservation work required, an area containing titanium white is a good place to start, as this is the most durable of pigments.  The success or otherwise of the test will determine the complexity of the cleaning.
In some cases the paint is so brittle and degraded that the painting needs to be lined first, so as to stabilise the pigment and draw it back into the canvas. The surface is then ready for the cleaning process.