>Hello all of you of museum-l
>I'd like any suggested techniques of how one may clean oil paintings.
>
>Valerie Vandell
>[log in to unmask]


 Are you in a museum?  Are you a director, curator?  A paintings
conservator will give you advice on what to do and not to do with regard to
handling, condition monitoring, and can also recommended conservators in
your area.  If you're asking for a crash course in oil painting cleaning, I
promise you won't get one.

Presumably, you're talking about the painted surface of a painting.  My
suggestion is please don't try to clean it yourself.  Cleaning of oil
paintings is a very involved process due to the complex nature of the
painted surface and the chemical composition of the paint, which can vary
widely.  Cleaning materials and approach can not be determined until after
a thorough examination of the painting, including an analysis of the paint.
With the right materials, training, and knowledge, the cleaning of a
painting can still take months. Pardon me if I sound too condescending, but
unless you are a trained and experienced paintings conservator, cleaning
oil paintings yourself would be ill-advised.

No doubt conservators will answer your query.  Listen to their advice, as
they are more experenced in these issues than I.

HBC


*****************************************
Henry B. Crawford        Curator of History
[log in to unmask]     Museum of Texas Tech University
806/742-2442           Box 43191
FAX 742-1136             Lubbock, TX  79409-3191
*********All opinions expressed are mine**********