Customer Services-Frame Repairs and reconditioning
The restretching of an oil painting by Don Carlos DuBois
The customer's oil painting was painted by Don Carlos DuBois in 1928. The artist worked for The Great Western Stage Equipment Company in Kansas City , MO, painting scenery for theaters and Scottish Right Temples of Freemasonry. This painting was originally painted for and donated to the Seward Schools. It was displayed in the auditorium study hall for a time, then when the school was remodeled placed in storage. It was later returned to the family and hung in the home of one of Don Carlos Dubois' family members.
The customer noticed a warp in the stretcher and wanted the painting restretched to display better.
Original Condition
The painting's strainer was warped and bowed out 2 inches at the lower left hand corner and ¾ of an inch at the upper right. The strainer was made of rough cut cedar and unsealed There was a diagonal brace running from the upper right to the middle left. Both the strainer and the brace created painting marks in the canvas
The painting was very dusty on the back of the canvas and behind the strainer.
There were four tiny puncture holes in the lower half of the painting created when the high school boys tried to sink the ship with paper clips.
The canvas was attached to the frame using four short strips of quarter round and the strainer was “centered” in the frame using 1/8 th inch wood strips around the outside of the canvas.
The original frame had only a few scratches and dings and was to be reused. It was not sealed and was braced with 1/2 inch plywood corner angles glued screwed and nailed in place.
Action Taken
Removed frame from canvas for cleaning.
Vacuumed canvas front and back
Lightly cleaned canvas with distilled water and cotton balls.
Re-stretched painting on new 1/8 inch larger finger joined ramin wood strainer with new cross-brace using copper tacks to prevent oxidation.
Applied four muslin patches to the back of the canvas using rice paste to cover the punctures.
S
ealed frame rabbet with clear polyurethane to prevent acid transfer from frame.
Applied Volura tape to rabbet to prevent paint on canvas from sticking to frame.
Attached quarter round to frame and then to stretched canvas.
Attached coroplast to the stretcher for protection from punctures and quick humidity changes.
Taped coroplast to frame for insect protection.
Installed hardware for hanging.