Mechanical Behaviour of Canvas — Mechanical Engineering Meets Conservation
Today marks the end of a 5-day workshop by dr. Cécilia Gauvin, who has a background in mechanical engineering. For 10 years, she has dedicated herself to researching the thermo-hygro-mechanical behavior of coated wooden panels in cultural heritage using innovative technologies. She showed us how conservation is viewed and explained from an engineer’s point of view. Starting with basic concepts in physics and engineering, she gradually projected those broad and vague concepts onto the tangible behaviour of canvas-supported paintings, sheding light on issues like cracks and delamination. By the end, I felt equipped to analyze and address structural problems, enabling the development of effective preventive and remedial conservation strategies.
Course Highlights
Introduction to key concepts in material mechanics.
Examination of the mechanical behavior of canvas painting materials, particularly their reactions to shifts in humidity.
Exploration of measurement techniques to quantify the impact of environmental conditions.
Practical sessions, peer presentations, and group discussions for hands-on learning.
Practical Applications
Not only did we gain a deep understanding of material mechanics, learning to identify and analyze common issues in canvas-supported paintings, the workshop also empowered us to develop conservation plans and strategies that address structural challenges, ensuring the longevity of these artworks. We also experimented with a simple setup of a tensile test system, through which we tested the tensile strength of several types of canvases and witnessed creep in the happening. Watch a short video clip below.
Weight is slowly and steadily added to a bucket, hooked on the end of the test set. With the increase in weight in the tensile direction, one can clearly see the elongation of the canvas strip.
