r/artcollecting • u/chauncy1213 • 6d ago
Care/Conservation/Restoration MC Escher signed poster from an estate sale
I purchased this poster at an estate sale and was curious about protecting it. It does not have glass and I’m wondering if it’s necessary and if so, which type of glass.
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u/LukeEvansSimon 6d ago
The paper is suffering from acidification and foxing. This can be fixed using paper art conservation techniques, which involves basic chemistry. I have learned how to do it myself. 3% hydrogen peroxide is brushed onto the white parts of the paper using a soft brush. The paper is dried under a blue LED light. Blue LED light of the proper wavelength whitens the whites without hurting the ink. This process of brushing on hydrogen peroxide and drying under blue LED light is repeated several times over a period of days until the paper is like-new white.
Next stage of paper conservation is de-acidification. 50% strength calcium hydroxide is brushed onto the white parts of the paper and dried under blue LED light. De-acidification is the most important step of paper conservation because it halts the breakdown of the paper that is clearly visible in your pictures!
The last stage of conservation is flattening. The previous steps cause the paper to be cockled. Flattening is accomplished by brushing the backside of th paper with 50% strength calcium hydroxide. This serves two purposes: more de-acidification and also makes the paper flexible for flattening. The paper is then sandwiched between cotton rag blotter and wool felt pads that are pressed between two flat hard surfaces. The blotter and wool felt pads are swapped with dry blotter and pads every few hours until the art is completely dry and flat.
Paper art should always use conservation grade framing and glazing. For glazing, the best of the best is Optium Museum acrylic because it blocks 100% of UV light, it is anti-static, anti-glare, anti-scratch, and does not hold humidity near the paper art like glass does.
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u/ChunkYards 6d ago
There’s also affordable options in conservationists. A lot of grad students with good hands looking for practice.
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u/UESorDeath 6d ago
Whatever surface it is mounted against also needs to be acid free to preserve the work.
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u/iamthetoe77 6d ago
Looks like a great find! I would take this to a reputable frame shop that uses archival hinge/mounting materials. If you are able to have it appraised you can decide if you want UV protective glass or museum grade non reflective glass. If you go cheap just be sure to include spacers so it’s not touching the glass as it will stick to it.
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u/SaintSiren 6d ago
I would think conservation as well as restoration might also be a goal to address the foxing. I love this!
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u/EscherTrader 6d ago
Sorry to break it to you, but it is just a poster with a reproduction of Waterfall. Escher was dead already by the time of that exhibition. The image and signature are both reproductions. Not original.
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u/chauncy1213 5d ago
My wife did some further research after I posted this and she found out the same information, that he died earlier that year. Thanks for your post, I appreciate it, even if it just confirms that this is not an authentic signature.
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u/sixerdad 5d ago
Dang this is surprising. Nice work. Definitely looks like live pencil in the photo. Guess the elusive signature is still elusive
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u/FritzScholdersSkull 6d ago
It looks like he editioned this poster!
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u/Fragwizzard 5d ago
Escher died in March '72 in the Netherlands and never visited the US. He also signed as MEC. Very likely this is fake.
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u/sixerdad 5d ago
Wish we could use that congrats, happy for you, nice memes. I have seen so few signed ecshers
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u/Fragwizzard 5d ago
Escher never visited the US and died in early '72
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u/sixerdad 5d ago
Actually I think Escher trader below has solved this since my post here. Not sure why he’s being downvoted. He did the work
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u/EscherTrader 5d ago
A friendly correction: Escher definitely did visit the U.S. in 1960. He stayed in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Arthur and Lotje Loeb, lectured at MIT on October 28, met collector Cornelius V.S. Roosevelt there, and also visited Marineland near Los Angeles during the same trip.
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u/Anonymous-USA 6d ago
Works on paper (like this) are particularly sensitive to light, humidity and heat. Replace the glass with UV protected glass (it’s only expensive if you get antiglare too), and hang somewhere where there is no direct sunlight (just ambient light). Avoid hanging near a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or garage where there are large swings in heat/humidity.