Revised on 7 November 2026. Should any information have changed, please notify me and I shall update it.
The condition report describes the state of a work at a specific moment: what damage is present, its location, its nature, and whether it is stable. These reports are commissioned by auction houses prior to sale, by museums before and after a loan, and by insurers before providing coverage. For those purchasing or lending, a thorough reading represents the difference between accepting pre-existing damage and discovering it later without the ability to prove when it occurred.
Contents
A comprehensive report identifies the work (author, title, date, technique, support, dimensions, inventory number), describes each layer separately (support, preparation, paint layer, varnish, frame, and mounting elements), locates damage on a photograph or diagram, indicates the date, location, and lighting conditions of the examination, and the identity of the signatory, concluding with an assessment and, occasionally, recommendations. The UNE-EN 16095 standard governs the registration of the condition of movable cultural heritage.
A report that fails to specify the lighting conditions under which the work was examined, or the identity of the examiner, holds diminished value.
Vocabulary
Craquelure. A network of fine cracks within the paint layer or varnish. This is typical in antique paintings. Its significance depends on whether it is stable or if the edges are lifting.
Lifting. An area of paint that has separated from the support, forming flakes or blisters. This constitutes active damage: it may progress to loss.
Loss. An area where paint or ground layer is missing.
Abrasion. Surface wear, frequently resulting from historical cleaning.
Overpaint. Paint added during a restoration that obscures the original. This is distinct from retouching, which is limited to covering a loss. Ultraviolet light assists in detecting both.
Oxidised varnish. Yellowed varnish that alters the perception of colours.
Support deformation. Canvas that has lost tension, is bulging, or bears stretcher bar marks; a wooden panel that is warped or cracked.
Foxing. Brown spots on paper, associated with fungal growth or metallic impurities.
Stable / active. The most critical terminology in the report. Stable damage does not change under normal conditions; active damage continues to progress.
An annotated example
This example is fictitious. "Oil on canvas, 81 × 65 cm. Generalised age-related craquelure, stable. Small area of lifting in the lower right corner, 1 × 2 cm, no loss. Overpaint in the sky visible under UV. Varnish slightly oxidised. Original stretcher with one missing key."
Read with care: the craquelure is not a cause for concern; the lifting is, as it may progress to loss and is situated in a corner prone to contact during handling; the overpaint indicates a prior restoration, the extent of which must be understood before purchase; the varnish is cosmetic; the missing stretcher key is easily replaced.
Indicators necessitating a second opinion
Active damage without a recommended treatment plan. Undocumented historical restorations. A report lacking an ultraviolet light examination for a work presented by the house as being in good condition. Low-quality photographs or those taken only from the front. Furthermore, a report signed by the vendor, without an independent opinion, for a high-value work.
If you are investing a significant sum, commission your own report from an independent conservator-restorer. The cost is negligible relative to the price of the artwork.
What a condition report does not prove
It does not certify authorship, attribution, market value, or title, nor does it determine liability for damage. It describes the physical matter. For authorship, please refer to the separate guide on authenticity and attribution.
Before signing a delivery receipt
For loans and deposits, compare the outgoing report with the incoming one and do not sign the receipt if damage appears that was not previously noted. Document it with photographs and a date. This serves as the most reliable evidence of when the incident occurred.
Do not overwrite earlier reports. Keep each version with its date, photographs and author. The history lets you track changes and assess whether a problem is new, stable or recurring.
Further reading
- Buying art at auction: estimation, commission, and delivery
- Loaning a work to an exhibition: the loan agreement
- Insuring a work of art: from home insurance to nail-to-nail coverage
On the open conversation
If you are a conservator-restorer and identify a missing term or an inaccurate explanation, please contact me. This notebook remains open.
Sources
- UNE-EN 16095:2012, Cultural heritage conservation. Condition reporting of movable cultural heritage.