Structural
Tear Repair, Reweaving & Structural Treatment
A torn canvas looks like a catastrophe. It rarely is — if it is treated properly and promptly.
Structural conservation addresses the painting’s physical fabric: tears and punctures, flaking or cupping paint, dents and distortions, weakened or degraded canvas, and problems inherited from earlier interventions.
Thread-by-thread tear reweaving
For many tears, the strongest and least invasive repair is also the most painstaking: rejoining the torn canvas threads themselves, one by one, under magnification. Done well, the repair is nearly invisible from the front and preserves the original canvas rather than covering it. Robert Proctor, Jr. mastered this technique at the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich and has taught it to conservators internationally; it remains a signature of the studio.
Flaking and cupping paint
Paint that lifts, tents, or cups is actively losing its bond to the layers beneath — and every day it remains untreated risks permanent loss. Consolidation reintroduces an appropriate adhesive and settles the paint, stabilizing the work — an essential step before any cosmetic treatment.
Linings — and lining reversal
Some paintings arrive with old glue or wax linings that have discolored, stiffened, or begun to fail. Where appropriate, we treat or reverse earlier linings and address the original canvas directly. Modern practice is conservative: we line only when the painting’s condition genuinely requires it.
My canvas is torn. Should I tape it?
No — no tape, on either side. Adhesives from household tape penetrate the canvas and complicate proper repair. Keep the painting flat if the tear is unstable, avoid handling the torn area, and call us.
Can a large or complex tear really be repaired?
Almost always. Even complex tears with paint loss can be rejoined, stabilized, and compensated so the damage no longer draws the eye. The sooner a tear is treated, the better the result — torn edges distort over time.
The paint on my painting is flaking. Is that urgent?
Yes — flaking is the one condition we treat as time-sensitive, because paint that falls off is gone. Stop moving the painting, keep it away from temperature and humidity swings, and contact us promptly.
Torn, dented, or flaking? Photograph it where it is, don’t tape anything, and get in touch.
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