Set Back the Race: Treatment Strategies for Running Oil Paint

This study examines the phenomenon of semi-drying oil paint and liquefaction processes in contemporary oil painting. It aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the complex processes and to evaluate new treatment strategies for the subsequent curing of liquefied paint. Instrumental analysis of liquefied paint samples reveals that all samples contained predominantly semi-drying sunflower and/or safflower oil that have major impact on the liquefaction process. In thick paint layers low molecular weight polar fractions are created by decomposition of triglycerides that are mobile within the paint layer. Hardening of liquefied oil paint samples can be achieved by heating them to between 70 and 80 °C. The degree of hardness is dependent on the temperature, the length of exposure and the film thickness. A significant loss in weight suggests that low molecular weight components evaporate and that the hardening is primarily a physical process.