Identification of crack models: case study on Adriano Sousa Lopes paintings

The study is being conducted within the framework of the conservation and restoration intervention on twelve paintings of the Portuguese artist Adriano de Sousa Lopes (1879-19). These artworks belongs to the painting collection of Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Lisbon (FBAUL). The aim of this study was to find a standard cracks pattern on these Sousa Lopes works. For that, it was carried out a mapping of existing cracks on this twelve paintings, through the open source software QGIS®. The cracks classification was based on Spike Bucklow and Knut Nicolaus methodologies. The outcome was compared with the technical documentation in an attempt to establish relationships between the materials and cracks. However, it was possible to find a typical cracks for the Lisbon period and another one for the Paris period. The prevailing cracks are from aging an drying, and their source derives from the low technique and poor quality of the material, excessive use of drying and negligence in preservation in the collection.