Many people assume that a well-made bronze can be left to its own devices for generations. While this is broadly true, a little regular attention to a bronze can make a big difference to its appearance over time.
Choose The Right Spot
Consider where your bronze will live and choose the best location before placing your new sculpture. A sheltered patio, porch or even indoor plinth is better than exposing your sculpture to full rain and wind. Try to position your bronze away from overhanging trees as they can drop sap and debris. Ensure the base of your bronze is stable and on a firm plinth.
Dust And Clean Gently
General cleaning of a bronze work of art is done with a soft brush or a lint-free cloth to remove dust. If more thorough cleaning is required, a bronze can be cleaned with warm water and very mild soap. Make sure that the bronze is completely dry before applying wax or storing. Never use a scouring pad, wire brush or other cleaning solutions to try and remove unsightly marks from a bronze work of art as they can cause serious damage to the surface of the bronze.
Protect The Patina With Wax
As the patina on a bronze is a delicate layer, the wax needs to be applied thinly to prevent and damage to it. If in doubt as to how to care for your outdoor metal artworks, seek advice from a professional conservator. See also Bronze Animal Sculptures.
Watch For Verdigris And Staining
Don’t allow bird droppings, tree sap, etc. to form unsightly staining on your bronze outside. Wash off with clean water before staining penetrates into surface. Watch for verdigris – a green coloured bloom that forms on the surface of the bronze. A slight patch can be removed with a soft cloth while a more established patch will require more skilled and time-consuming treatment. As with many bronze sculptures located in parks and gardens throughout the UK publicly-owned works are regularly cleaned by light rubbing with fingers etc. under normal weather conditions and occasional more thorough conserving when surface has begun to deteriorate over long period.
Handle And Check With Care
Move with care. Always lift from the base of a bronze sculpture and make sure that any fixings for the mounting or plinth are secure. Before and after winter, check any outdoor bronze sculptures for signs of frost damage. The ground may have shifted or fixings come loose in strong frost.
Looking after a bronze sculpture need be nothing more than a couple of occasions each year to add some wax to protect the patina and give it a brush over to remove any dirt, and it will go on to look even better as it ages.
