Skip to main content
Skip to footer Skip to Acknowledgement of Country
National Gallery of Australia
What's On Art & Artists Visit
Login
  1. Home
  2. Art & Artists
  3. Conservation
  4. Painting

Painting

A woman uses a cotton bud to clean a painting

Dore Hawthorne, Lithgow munitions factory canteen, 1944 (detail), urchased 2011

About


Made of organic materials, paintings change as they age. Painting Conservators are responsible for their maintenance and preservation, as well as advising on hanging, handling and installation. The diversity of materials in paintings — from oil on canvas to mixed media synthetic paints on everything from glass to polyester — means that the team must work with versatility and immense skill.

Canvases become acidic and brittle. Paints crack. Timbers dry and distort.

Painting Conservators are constantly monitoring works, and intervention comes in two forms: structural and cosmetic. The former can include re-stretching canvases or re-building supports. The latter addresses everything from cracking and flaking, to discolouration and accumulated dirt.

Frames form an integral part of many paintings, protecting works and influencing the overall aesthetic. Maintaining or reproducing historic frames also falls within the Painting Conservators’ broad skillset.

Photograph of conservators restoring painting

Dore Hawthorne, Lithgow munitions factory canteen, 1944, purchased 2011.

Close up photograph of painting palette.

Hugh Ramsay Self-portrait c.1902, Purchased 1965.

Photograph of conservator and director gesturing to painting under restoration

Conservator David Wise working on Jackson Pollock, Blue poles, 1952, purchased 1973 © Pollock-Krasner Foundation. ARS/Copyright Agency

Photograph of red and black abstract painting being observed by conservator with flashlight on step stool

Morris Louis, Dalet zayin, 1959, Purchased 1974 .

Photograph of Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly being observed by painting conservator

Sidney Nolan, Ned Kelly, 1946, Gift of Sunday Reed 1977.


Related


Conservation

a man using cleaning tools to perform conservation on a painting in a laboratory

The Gallery's Conservation Department ensures the legacy of the national collection via the long-term preservation of works of art.

Paper

The Gallery's Paper Conservation team incorporates Mountcutting and Framing and is responsible for the conservation and preparation of works on paper.

Preventative

Two women enclose a paper-wrapped object in a plastic bag to undergo preventative conservation

The Preventative Conservation team’s aim is to preserve all works of art by controlling the environment in which they are displayed and stored.

Objects

Photograph of object conservator using flashlight to inspect cylindrical sculpture

Object Conservation encompasses the most varied sector of the collection, from monumental works in the Sculpture Garden to delicate bark paintings.

Exhibition

Abracadabra
The magic in conservation

Ultraviolet image revealing locations of repairs and restorations via differing shades of purple light onhorse statue

28 Jul 2006—26 Nov 2006

Textiles

Photograph of textile conservator working on three hanging robes on display

All textile objects have a natural deterioration process — slowing that down while retaining original features is the key aim of Textile Conservators.

Go back to start of main content
Go to top of page

Yuuma, Gurruburri

The National Gallery acknowledges the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the Kamberri/Canberra region, and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country.

  • National Gallery On Demand
  • Art & Artists
  • What's On
  • Visit
  • Membership
  • Donate
  • Jobs
  • About Us

Connect

+61 2 6240 6411
information@nga.gov.au
Get art in your inbox

Open every day

(except Christmas day)
10am – 5pm

Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country
Parkes Place East, Parkes ACT 2600

View Street Map
View Gallery Map


Contact us

National Gallery of Australia

Follow the National gallery of Australia on:

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Website Privacy Website Disclaimer Website Copyright
Opening Acknowledgment of Country

The National Gallery acknowledges the First Peoples of this land and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country

Learn More
birds-eye view photograph of bushland
    • View All
    • Today
    • Exhibitions
    • Access Programs
    • All Programs
    • On Demand
    • About the Collection
    • Sculpture Garden
    • Kenneth E. Tyler Collection
    • Provenance
    • Conservation
    • Copyright
    • Search the Collection
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Getting Here
    • Parking & Transport
    • Art Store
    • Dining
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Research Library & Archives
    • Admission tickets
    • Browse Stories
    • Browse Videos
    • Artonview Magazine
    • Podcasts
    • Audio Tours
    • Virtual Tours
    • Learning Programs
    • For People with Access Needs
    • For Teachers & Students
    • For Young People
    • For Kids & Families
    • For Adults
    • For Your Community
    • Art Cases
    • Educator Programs
    • Get Involved
    • Membership
    • Voluntary Guides
    • Partnerships
    • Support
    • Donate
  • First Nations
  • Access
  • Art Store
  • Media
  • Venue Hire
  • About Us