Microclimate frame for paintings on canvas exposed to extreme fluctuations in relative humidity

Abstract

Ecomuseu Municipal do Seixal is aiming to exhibit three oil portraits on canvas from the 19th century in the Tide Mill of Corroios. Due to its location, intrinsic to its function of Tide Mill, the building exhibits environmental conditions characterized by severe fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity. This work aims to propose a model of microclimate frame that offers a solution for the continued preservation of the three paintings. The frame’s design was chosen based on the study of the environmental conditions (temperature and relative humidity) of the exhibition room at the Tide Mill as well as in the results of an in situ experiment involving model frames. The proposal here described, a microclimate frame with silica gel as buffering material, considered the designs presented in the literature, the individual needs of the paintings and, finally, the available budget.