Dust a glass portrait with a soft dry brush or a cold hairdryer. The surface is layered glass, so a cloth dragged across it can catch an edge. The glass will not fade, but hours of strong direct sun yellow the linen ground in time, so hang it where the sun does not sit for hours.
How do I dust a glass portrait?
With a soft dry brush, or with a hairdryer on its cold setting. Either lifts dust out from between the layers without touching the glass, which is the point.
The reason is the relief. The portrait is built up in layers, so there are edges standing proud of the linen everywhere a cloth would want to go. A cloth dragged across the surface catches those edges; a brush or a stream of cool air does not. Work from the top of the frame down, so the dust leaves the piece rather than settling lower in it.
What should I keep away from it?
Cloths dragged across the glass, and hours of strong direct sun. Those are the two habits the studio asks you to avoid; everything else is ordinary care for a framed piece.
| What | Do | Do not |
|---|---|---|
| Dust | A soft dry brush or a cold hairdryer | A cloth dragged across the glass |
| Light | A wall out of hours of direct sun | A spot where the sun sits on it all afternoon |
| Handling | Carry it by the frame, with both hands | Lift it by the glass or press on the linen |
| If a piece comes loose | Write to the studio first | Reach for household glue |
Will the glass fade or the linen yellow?
The glass will not fade. The linen can yellow, but only under hours of strong direct sun, and only over time.
So the care question is a hanging question. A wall that gets moving daylight suits the piece best, because the light moves across the relief as the day goes on; a wall that takes the full sun for hours does not. The hanging guide goes through the walls that work.
What if a piece of glass comes loose?
Write to the studio before you do anything else. Someone at the studio reads it and replies, generally the same day, and will say what to do with the piece.
Keep the loose piece with the portrait and leave the rest of the relief alone until you have heard back. The glass is placed by hand with fine tweezers and adhesive, and the right fix depends on where the piece sat and what it was layered over, which is why the first step is a message rather than glue.
Does it need anything else over the years?
No. The two habits above, dusting without a cloth and keeping the sun off the linen, are the whole routine. The glass does not fade and the walnut shadow box is there to keep the relief safe.
What each part is and why it behaves the way it does is on the materials and process page. If you are still deciding, the design is free to draw on the create page and nothing is cut until you approve one.
Questions this leaves
Can I wipe it with a damp cloth?
The studio's advice is a soft dry brush or a cold hairdryer, not a cloth. The surface is layered glass, and a cloth dragged across it catches the edges of the relief. Dust is all that settles on it, and a brush or cool air lifts dust without touching the glass.
Can it hang in direct sun?
Not for hours at a time. The glass does not mind the sun, but the linen ground yellows in time under strong direct sun. A wall with daylight that moves across the piece is ideal; a wall that takes the full sun every afternoon is the one to avoid.
How often should I dust it?
As often as you would dust any other framed piece in the same room; there is no schedule to keep. When you do, use the brush or the cold hairdryer and work from the top of the frame down.
