Nanocomposite Organogel for Art Conservation─A Novel Wax Resin Removal System

We describe a new, safe, and effective method for removing wax resin adhesive from the canvases of paintings conserved by the once widely used Dutch Method, which involved attaching a new canvas to the back of a painting using an adhesive made of beeswax and natural resin. First, a low-toxicity cleaning mixture for dissolving the adhesive and removing it from the canvases was developed, and then a nanocomposited organogel was obtained. The ability of the organogel to remove the adhesive from canvases was investigated on the lining of the 1878 painting "Battle of Grunwald" by Jan Matejko, with promising results. Additionally, we found that the organogel can be used several times with no visible loss of cleaning ability. Finally, the effectiveness and safety of the method were confirmed on two oil paintings (one from the National Museum in Warsaw): all the wax resin adhesive was removed and the painting regained its original brightness and vivid colors.