Glue-paste linings: An evaluation of some biological, chemical and mechanical aspects of a traditional technique

Glue-paste linings of (Western) canvas paintings have been performed with a variety of materials throughout history and are present in a very significant amount of artworks in collections in Europe and elsewhere. Cereal flours and animal glues were usually the main ingredients because they were readily available or simply owing to tradition. A variety of different additives were commonly included in recipes, aiming to enhance performance or to prevent
mould growth. This paper describes how varying dominant ingredients of the glue-paste recipe influence the mechanical performance and degradation processes of lined canvas paintings. The impact of cyclic relative humidity on the biological and physical stability of the laminate structure is reported. Carefully constructed mock-ups, simulating lined canvas paintings, were used to examine the effect of pest infestation, mould growth, mechanical damage and chemical changes to the glue-paste lining adhesive over time. Results indicate that the cereal protein content influences degradation
phenomena.