One of the major concerns of serious painters is how to avoid the destruction that time imposes on paintings. Stout's book uses historical examples to show what can go wrong with various techniques and how some past masters minimized the potential damage through a solid knowledge of their craft and their materials.

At both the Artist Forum and the Cennini Forum, we have often recommended 'The Care of Pictures' as an important source of solid information. Written in clear, understandable prose, the reader does not have to have a background in painting conservation in order to understand the book. Not only are the questions concerning materials fully explored, the all-important question of handling, housing and moving pictures is discussed in depth.

This is a must-have book for any serious artist or collector.