More on protecting Oil works
It seems part of the problem in preserving oil paintings etc. is that quite honestly the environment that they can be in without spoiling or attracting bugs is rather narrow.
From the book SAVING STUFF by Don Williams and Louisa Jagger..the best relative humidity for oil paintings is 45 to 55 % with a stable level more important than the range as otherwise it will decay and become brittle developing cracks and paint loss when the humidity level is low.
If the support is made of organic materials like canvas, paper or wood it may also shrink with changes in temperature. If the humidity gets higher than 65% your oil piece will get moldy.
The building up of dirt, soot, pollutants, cooking oils etc. is a serious issue as well. Paints will react with smog andchange color. This does not happen as much with acrylic paint. With oil paintings etc. do not allow cigarette smoking, use a HVAC system and keep far away from the kitchen.
Do not use dust cloths, feather dusters, stiff Fuller brushes on an oil painting as thread will come off from the raised areas and remove the oils.
Oil paintings must be in a dim lit area as exposure to light, (around 150 LUX) natural or artificial will cause Permanent fading, discoloration or embrittlement on watercolors, and ink prints. If possible encase the piece in glass, Denglas, UV filtering glass, Plexiglas. --my Aunt Freda had a lovely hand-painted ceramic beaded rose that was encased in Plexiglas. When I was a child I used to wonder how it got in there. I have to ask my cousin what happened to it now that I mention it.
Do not spray anything on oil as it will damage the ornamentation, trap bacteria and promote mould growth.
