Receiving a loaned painting and comparing condition records: a practical guide

Separate crate receipt from condition examination, compare earlier reports and photographs with an authorised examiner, and keep installation and return records connected.

Author: EVENTODIT Editorial Team
Published: 2026-10-27T00:16:30.533Z
Updated: 2026-10-31T11:07:15+09:00
Original URL: https://eventodit.com/en/stories/exhibition-painting-condition-report-custody-check.html

Practical summary

Key decision: Separate receipt from condition assessment; obtain authorised examination and action decisions when a difference or comparison limitation is found.

Responsible roles / intended readers: Exhibition producers, collection managers, lenders and conservation staff

Record / next task: Object-linked reference reports, examination date/place/examiner, front/back/frame photographs, comparison findings, action decisions and return confirmation

Basis of information: Direct comparison of CCI Notes 10/6 and 10/7 and the Collections Trust Spectrum suggested condition-checking procedure

Editorial review: 2026-10-27

Part 1. Planning, loans and receiving lead

"Receiving a crate does not confirm the condition. Connect earlier records with an authorised examiner in advance."

- Separate receipt from condition examination: Do not treat signing for a crate from the delivery vehicle as equivalent to examining the artwork itself. Record the crate’s receipt separately and leave the painting’s condition unconfirmed until an authorised examiner has compared it with the record.
- Obtain the pre-dispatch report and photographs: Before arrival, obtain the lender’s condition report made immediately before dispatch, photographs of the painting and frame, the object number and handling instructions. Link the report and photographs using the same object number instead of relying on the title alone.
- Assign an authorised examiner and agree the unpacking time: Designate an examiner suited to the work and authorised under the institution’s procedures in consultation with the lender, rather than letting installation staff make an unsupported condition judgement. Agree the unpacking time, location and personnel with the lender and put them on the schedule. A confirmed delivery time without an examiner still leaves the condition unconfirmed after the crate arrives.
- Maintain a cumulative condition record: Keep condition observations linked in one timeline from the lender’s dispatch through venue arrival, the exhibition period, departure and return.

Part 2. Artwork condition and conservation review

"Do not jump to a cause. Keep overall and detail photographs and record what was observed."

- Photograph the front, back, frame and relevant details: Do not photograph only the front. Within safe and permitted handling limits, document the painting’s front and back, the whole frame and details of areas of concern. Record the date, photographer and lighting conditions, and link each image to the condition record so it can be found promptly.
- Avoid unsafe handling and lighting exposure: Do not turn a fragile painting over or remove it from its frame merely to inspect a detail. A heat-producing lamp kept too close for too long can cause damage; follow the agreed safe photography and conservation instructions.
- Separate observation from cause: A mark absent from the previous record is not automatically new transit damage. Distinguish when it was discovered from when it occurred, objectively describe its nature, extent and location, and ask the lender whether the earlier record may have omitted it.
- Do not mark an unexamined area as clear: If a frame or structure obscures an area, do not routinely record it as having no issue. Identify the area and the reason it remains unconfirmed, and record who will agree a safe way to examine it later.

| Comparison result | Record | Follow-up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mark matches the earlier report | Reference report, photograph and current observation | Whether existing handling and display conditions remain suitable |
| Mark absent from earlier records | Observed location, appearance, extent and image | Ask the lender whether it is a change or an earlier omission |
| Photographs are difficult to compare | Lighting, angle or other comparison limitation | Further examination by an authorised person |
| Part could not be examined | Area and reason it remains unconfirmed | Agree a safe method and examiner |

This table is an EVENTODIT recording proposal. Confirm handling conditions and examination methods with the lender and conservation lead.

Part 3. Installation, departure and handover

"Do not try to erase a mark. Stop moving the work when a concern is found and wait for approval."

- Stop movement and preserve the situation: If paint is lifting or a frame component is loose, do not continue moving the painting to obtain more photographs. Examine a vulnerable painting in place and immediately call a conservation professional to prevent further damage.
- Do not allow unauthorised repairs by site staff: A tight schedule is not a reason to clean the surface or glue the frame to remove a trace. Carry out only actions approved by the conservation professional and lender, and retain the decision-maker’s approval and response.
- Distinguish reporting from permission to install: Record separately that a concern was reported to the lender or collection manager and that permission to proceed with installation was actually granted. Hold installation until the necessary authorisation is received.
- Compare the cumulative record before departure and retain the return check: At the end of the exhibition, compare the arrival report with observations made during the exhibition and check for changes. Keep return photographs connected to the earlier records, and obtain and retain the lender’s final condition findings and any outstanding actions before closing the handover.

Practical workflow · Timeline

Link the same painting’s condition records over time — editorial application

Before lender dispatch — Prepare comparison records
  Obtain the lender’s condition report, photographs and handling conditions.
After venue arrival — Compare incoming condition
  At the permitted unpacking and examination point, check against the earlier records.
Before venue departure — Check exhibition-period changes
  Compare arrival and later observations, and inform the lender.
After return to lender — Retain the return check
  Record the lender’s findings and any outstanding action.

Note: Where a change gives cause for concern, obtain appropriate conservation advice before further movement or installation. This diagram is not an actual examination result.

Use the form for the next handover

Use the [Loan painting condition and custody log](/en/templates/painting-condition-custody.html) for the records described here. The XLSX contains Blank, Example and Instructions sheets. Write your event in Blank; the fictional example is a guide to what to enter.

Link artwork/package to baseline records; distinguish receipt from examination. Record observations, photo conditions and unseen areas without inferring cause.

Site staff send photos and observations to loan/conservation staff. Load-out links cumulative records to the lender’s final return confirmation.

**Final check before use:** Before receiving, unpacking, examining and installing a loaned painting, check that crate receipt and artwork examination are recorded separately, front, back and frame photographs are compared, and the conservation lead’s action approvals are retained.

Application conditions

Draws on CCI guidance for paintings and frames and Collections Trust procedures. Establish actual unpacking, handling, examination and treatment permissions and loan terms first. Foreign guidance is not a Korean legal requirement.

Unconfirmed information

No actual damage, time or cause of occurrence, carrier liability or insurance outcome was verified. Examination methods for other materials or mixed-media works and specific lighting values are not established. Role assignments, comparison table and timeline are editorial applications.

Sources

Canadian Conservation Institute — Notes 10/6, condition report purposes and cumulative loan records
https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/canadian-conservation-institute-notes/condition-reporting-paintings-introduction.html

Canadian Conservation Institute — Notes 10/7, examination precautions and damage descriptions
https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/canadian-conservation-institute-notes/condition-reporting-paintings-examination-techniques.html

Collections Trust — Spectrum suggested procedure for condition checking and technical assessment
https://collectionstrust.org.uk/resource/condition-checking-and-technical-assessment-suggested-procedure/