Conservation and Preservation Standards for Paintings

Nowadays, protection of cultural heritage is a main subject of discussion all around the world. The methodologies for conservation and preservation of cultural heritage vary depending on the cultural property being studied at the time. Conservation is a process focused on stabilizing the present situation of cultural property and restoring one or more important characteristics of it. It is an operation that aims to remove and stop its deterioration, emphasizing that its structure and history are not affected or radically altered. On the other hand, preservation is the set of all measures and actions which are intended to prolong the useful lifetime, as well as avoiding its distortion either from an accident or a natural or man-made disaster. This includes all procedures for the safe handling, use, transport, storage and exhibition of these goods. In this paper, paintings, on canvas, paper or wood, are studied. The main purpose is to record the basic conservation and preservation specifications, as they arise from international organizations, such as ICCROM, or ISO standards. The result is a detailed record of the basic processes for identifying the deformations, maintenance, restore and preserve painting and their history.