Artwork is usually stored in the gap between two pieces of furniture, leaning, which is the one position that damages it.
What actually destroys it
Light, which fades pigments and yellows paper. Works on paper are the most vulnerable things in this list.
Humidity, which foxes paper, cockles boards and lifts paint.
Leaning, which distorts stretched canvases and presses corners.
Plastic against the surface, which traps moisture and can stick to paint over years.
What to do instead
- Works on paper flat, between acid-free boards, in a box, out of light
- Canvases upright, face to face and back to back, separated by board, never leaning against a wall edge-on
- Glassine or acid-free tissue against a painted surface, never plastic
- Out of direct sun, away from outside walls and bathrooms
- Hung works away from sunlight, with UV glazing for anything on paper
Framed works
Glazing protects from dust and handling. Only UV glazing protects from light. If a work matters and the room is bright, that is where the money should go.
What it costs
Boards and tissue for stored work; UV glazing for displayed work. The expensive alternative is a faded print nobody can restore.
Questions people ask
Can fading be reversed?
No. Prevention is the whole of it.
Is a canvas safe rolled?
Only unstretched, loosely, painted side out, and ideally not for long.
Should I keep the frame?
If it suits the work, yes — but store the work, not the wall position.
More: describing artwork, packing art.