Questions & Answers
Our trusted network of 1stDibs sellers answer common questions
How do you maintain oil paintings?
1 Answer

To maintain oil paintings that you purchased for your home, experts suggest that you keep them out of direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure to the sunlight coming in from a window can fade the colors in your painting. Do not hang your oil painting near a heat source or where it can get wet (bathrooms and kitchens are not safe for your oil painting).
You may wish to dust your oil painting so that layers of dust don’t begin to gather on its surface. This should only be considered to remove loose dust. Never spray any chemical substance on your oil painting. Do not use a damp cloth to dust your oil painting. (Again, your painting should not be exposed to moisture.)
To remove loose dust, use a soft brush that measures approximately one to two inches wide with natural-hair bristles. Do not use a dust cloth or a feather duster, as those items may catch or leave threads or feathers behind. Do not apply pressure or dust your painting for an extended period of time.
If you think that your oil painting is considerably dirty or believe that other issues may be at work, experts strongly suggest that you consult with a professional conservator.
Read about how to arrange your wall art and find oil paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
You may wish to dust your oil painting so that layers of dust don’t begin to gather on its surface. This should only be considered to remove loose dust. Never spray any chemical substance on your oil painting. Do not use a damp cloth to dust your oil painting. (Again, your painting should not be exposed to moisture.)
To remove loose dust, use a soft brush that measures approximately one to two inches wide with natural-hair bristles. Do not use a dust cloth or a feather duster, as those items may catch or leave threads or feathers behind. Do not apply pressure or dust your painting for an extended period of time.
If you think that your oil painting is considerably dirty or believe that other issues may be at work, experts strongly suggest that you consult with a professional conservator.
Read about how to arrange your wall art and find oil paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2024
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Shop for Oil Paintings on 1stDibs
Airplane in landscape - landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful painting by Jeroen Allart is part of his minimalist landscape and animal painting he did in his home country the Netherlands.
'A farm stands before you on the horizon....
Category
2010s Contemporary Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Tombs of the Sultans - 19th Century Orientalist Oil Painting Royal Academy 1873
Located in Gerrards Cross, GB
‘Tombs of the Sultans’ by Frank Dillon R.I. R.O.I. (1823-1909).
The painting – which depicts the ancient Egyptian “City of the Dead” outside the old walls of Cairo – is signed by th...
Category
1870s English School Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil
$31,079 Sale Price
25% Off
Large female nude oil painting by French artist, Georges Guinegault
By Georges-Pierre Guinegault
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Large mid-century female reclining nude by renown French artist, Georges Pierre Guinegault (1893 – 1952) who is famous for his nudes.
This fabulous oil on stretched canvas is signed...
Category
1940s Nude Paintings
Materials
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Exploded City
Located in Dallas, TX
oil on canvas
signed on the back
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Antique Oil Scottish Highlands Rapid River Flowing Highlands Glencoe Scotland
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Highland River (most likely at Glen Etive or Glencoe)
by F. E. Jamieson (British 1895-1950)
signed (with pseudonym, Graham Williams)
oil on canvas, framed
framed: 26 x 36 inches
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Category
Early 20th Century Victorian Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Fine Early 1700's Dutch Oil Painting Merchants in Shipping Port Estuary Fortress
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Shipping Harbor
Dutch School, early 1700's period, unsigned.
oil on canvas, framed
framed: 24 x 35 inches
canvas : 17 x 28 inches
Provenance: private collection, UK
Condition: m...
Category
Early 18th Century Dutch School Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil