THE USE OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC POLIMERS IN THE LINING OF THE CANVAS. THE HISTORY AND REGIONAL SPECIFICITY OF METHODS

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the history of the use of various adhesives for canvas lining during the twentieth century in Europe and Ukraine, to compare the experience of national and European schools of restoration. Research methods. The study is based on the use of historical, genetic, and art historical analysis. In order to achieve this goal, the following research methods were used: comparison, systematization, analysis, and generalization of the problem under study, which allowed for a comprehensive approach to the study of the history of the development of restoration techniques. The scientific novelty of the study is that for the first time an attempt was made to consider the development and evolution of canvas lining techniques in chronological sequence, taking into account changes in the ethical foundations of conservation and restoration as a field and regional characteristics. Results. The study of the historical evolution of adhesives in the restoration of paintings reveals clear regional differences and technological trends. Until the 1970s, natural adhesives were used in restoration practice, with a distinct regional specificity: the post-Soviet space was characterized by the use of animal adhesives (especially sturgeon), while in Western and Central Europe vegetable adhesives and wax mastics prevailed. The study found that a significant technological breakthrough occurred in the 1970s, when the first synthetic adhesives appeared. This period was characterized by experiments with various vinyl polymers. In the USA and Western Europe, a number of synthetic materials were developed, among which BEVA and Plextol B-360 (Lascaux HV-360) were the most widespread. These developments were accompanied by the creation of special equipment such as vacuum tables and low-temperature lining systems. Polyvinyl alcohol became the most typical for the Soviet school during this period. The 1980s and 1990s were marked by technological improvements in the application of synthetic adhesives in the West and a complete halt to developments in Soviet and post-Soviet restoration. This led to the technological lag of the national school in comparison with the West. Therefore, the most promising works in the future are developments in plasticization and increasing the pastiness of natural protein adhesives, on the one hand, and further developments in the field of synthetic vinyls, on the other hand.