Can a painting be carried in hand luggage? How to take a painting abroad by plane and not get into trouble

How to pack a painting? There are probably no artists or art owners who have not faced this issue. Even in order to bring it to a neighboring house, you need to protect the painting. What can we say when it comes to the transcontinental movement of paintings.

Purpose of packaging

We think this point does not require clarification. Safety, integrity, presentation of the author (if for sale) - these are the goals of packaging. Agree, it’s not entirely pleasant to receive a damaged painting. Moreover, if it was purchased for serious money and is intended to become a decoration for a living room or collection.

And the author probably doesn’t want the creation, which he may have pored over for days and evenings, to suffer only because it was improperly packaged. Therefore, certain rules must be followed in order to achieve the goal of timely and complete delivery to the recipient, wherever he is.

Packaging materials

The choice of packaging materials depends on the form in which the work of art will be delivered to its destination: in the form of a roll or framed in a baguette. Popular (and truly effective) packaging materials include:

Bubble wrap. It is needed to fill the space and create a kind of wall between the work of art and external factors;
Packing tape;
Glassine to preserve the color scheme and prevent its distortion due to contact with other packaging materials;
Expanded polystyrene. Gently protects against hard structures from the outside.
Protective cardboard corners. It is clear that we are talking about the integrity of the whole picture.
PVC pipes or other material if you plan to transport the painting rolled up.

How to pack a painting in a baguette

Transporting a painting in a baguette is perhaps the best thing a customer/collector/exhibition curator dreams of. But for the author/owner of the painting, this is an additional concern, because it is necessary to make or select a wooden sheathing that will protect the work from damage.

The following points are taken into account:

Sheets of plywood are used for sheathing;
The painting is wrapped in glassine for transportation;
The space between the painting and the sheathing is filled with polystyrene foam so that the painting inside cannot move even a millimeter;
Be sure to indicate where the removable cover is located. And on the sheathing, print the word “Fragile” in large print so that it immediately catches the eye.

How to pack a painting without a baguette

Need to post a painting without a frame? Well, it’s more economical and easier than using sheathing. To do this, you need to roll up the painting and send it in a tube to its destination. This is where a pipe made of polyvinyl chloride or other durable but lightweight material for packing the painting comes in handy. You can buy them at a hardware store.

In order for the painting to reach its final destination safe and sound, the following points must be observed:

The picture is covered with glassine on both sides, and this protective material protrudes slightly at the edges even when rolled;
You need two tubes that fit into each other according to the “matryoshka” principle;
A painting in the form of a roll is placed in a tube with a smaller diameter, and everything is wrapped in bubble wrap in such a way as to provide reliable protection from moisture;
The tube with the picture is placed in a large tube, the voids are filled with bubble wrap, and the ends are closed with lids.

Don't forget to mark what's inside as "Fragile"!

There are several ways to export paintings abroad. The most popular and convenient of them is transportation by plane.

Self-removal of paintings by aircraft is preferable in the following cases:

If you need to take your work to a foreign exhibition, which requires the personal presence of the artist/owner of the work;
In a situation where it is planned to export an artistic canvas as a gift;
If the painting is sold and the artist wishes to personally hand over the valuable cargo to the buyer on the spot;
If you need to move abroad for permanent residence.

We follow the letter of the law

The export of works of art (in particular, paintings) is regulated by the Law of the Russian Federation on the transportation of cultural property.

There are three key points in this law:

Only their legal owner or authorized representative has the right to export cultural property. The power of attorney must be formalized legally in accordance with the law;
When transporting, it is necessary to have proof of ownership of the cargo being exported;
Among the accompanying documents, it is necessary to have a certificate from the Ministry of Culture for the Central Federal District about the cultural value of the work.

Along with this, it should be taken into account that each airline may have its own requirements for the transportation of specific and valuable cargo. And these rules change quite often. Therefore, it is better to clarify the details with the selected air carrier in advance.

It would be a good idea to take into account the general standards for transporting art objects.

Getting ready for the examination

As a rule, to independently export paintings abroad, only a positive expert opinion is sufficient.

This procedure is necessary to confirm the authenticity of the painting, its cultural value and the legality of export.

The examination is carried out by specialists determined by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and is a paid service.

To carry out the operation, the following documents will be required:

Statement from the owner indicating personal data and description of the painting;
When exporting two or more paintings, a list of works will be required;
Photographs of each piece of art on both sides (front and back) 10*15 cm in duplicate;
Copy of passport (page spread with photo + registration).

If the desire to export the paintings does not run counter to the law, the applicant will successfully receive permission for this procedure.

Packaging is a guarantee of safety

Correctly chosen packaging will ensure the delivery of valuable cargo safe and sound. When choosing packaging material, you should take into account the size of the painting.

If the dimensions allow transportation as hand luggage, then a tube can be used as packaging. A tube made of multilayer cardboard will protect the canvas from mechanical stress and contamination and will be very inexpensive.

A small canvas can be packed in a plastic folder or cardboard box. It is only necessary that the dimensions correspond to the size of acceptable hand luggage: no more than 10 kg of weight (no more than 15 kg when flying in business class). The sum of the dimensions of the three sides should be no more than 115 cm.

When transporting large canvases or several paintings at once, plywood or wooden boxes are used. Transportation is carried out in the luggage compartment.

Professional assistance in transporting paintings

If you value your time, entrust the care of packing valuable cargo and preparing documents to the ArtPost company.

We offer at your service:

Quickly passing the examination in one day, followed by obtaining a certificate and permission from the Department of the Ministry of Culture: an invaluable plus in a force majeure situation when deadlines are running out;
High-quality and careful packaging of paintings by a professional team.

If you have any questions, we will be happy to provide you with a free consultation.

Often there is a need to fly to another city or country. Of course, you want to take as many memorable and important things as possible from home. However, if this thing is a large painting, then it is worth knowing whether you can take it with you.

Transportation requirements
Let's start with the fact that all airlines have different requirements for transporting various objects of art. The only thing they have in common is their size limitation. The average number is approximately one hundred centimeters on all sides with packaging.

However, without a document stating that the painting is not valuable to the state, you may not be allowed to leave the country with it. Some travelers were lucky and passed without permission. But is it worth the risk?

To determine at the border that the canvas is not of sufficient value, border guards must inspect it for compliance with the documents, so it should be packaged in transparent film.

Packing a painting for a flight
To prevent anything from happening to the painting, it should be wrapped in some kind of packaging material. It can be plain paper or mica paper, or even film.

It is advisable to ask specialists who understand this specificity to pack. This way you can be confident that the piece of art will remain safe.

If the canvas is valuable, then it is even better to first wrap it in film so as not to damage it when taking it out for inspection, and then put it in a thick cardboard box or even a not very heavy box. Ideally, you should also insure for a certain amount to protect yourself in case of trouble.

Transportation by plane
You can take the painting to the salon. Usually the staff meets halfway and takes even larger items into the aircraft cabin than are allowed. The canvas can be placed on a shelf, if possible, or near a window, provided that this does not contradict the rules of passenger safety during the flight.

If any problems arise with the design of the picture, then you can always, if the structure of the material from which the plot is made allows, roll it up, after putting it in a tube. Also, it is possible to pay a certain amount and register it as transportation of fragile luggage, insuring the painting for a certain amount.

Transporting a painting is a difficult and responsible task. Perhaps you are planning to transport a painting that you painted on vacation to decorate the walls of your apartment. Or perhaps you are the director of a museum, and you need to transport a painting by Rembrandt from the Louvre to the Hermitage. In any case, our tips will help you transport and pack the painting without causing cracks or damage.

Transportation of paintings is a difficult process, even from a transport company requiring the highest professionalism - exactly the kind that distinguishes the transportation of New Level LLC. And the first thing that will need to be done is to pack the painting.

The packaging of the painting must meet several requirements at once. First of all, it must protect the cargo from damage during shakes and jolts when transporting the painting. The packaging of the painting must not cause damage to the frame, stretcher, canvas and layers of paint on it. If it is necessary to transport an expensive painting over a long distance, the packaging of the painting should maintain the microclimate familiar to the painting.

There are different ways to transport a painting and pack it. Several options for packaging the painting:

How to pack a framed painting.

This is a fairly simple case of transporting a painting, because... the protruding frame already gives the canvas some protection. Wrap the painting tightly with stretch film or food packaging film (we recommend using cling film for transporting the painting as it is softer). Tip - hold the roll of film with the unwinding side facing the picture, and not towards you, this will allow the packaging to be pulled tighter. Wrap not only the front side, but also the edges of the picture. Then wrap the picture in bubble wrap or polyethylene foam (also known as a backing for the laminate) so that the edges and seams of the film are on the back side, not the front. Fold in the protruding edges of the package to form an “envelope”, cover it crosswise with tape, and use it to glue the edges and joints of the film so that the air remaining inside softens the shocks when transporting the painting. Take two large sheets of corrugated cardboard (the size of the picture you want to pack, taking into account the thickness of the frame) and place the picture between them. Bend the edges of the cardboard sheets inward, cover all the joints with tape and once again glue the packaging of the painting crosswise.

For strength, you can pack the picture not in corrugated cardboard, but between two sheets of plywood or hardboard. You can also order a rigid crate from New Level LLC, or purchase a special container-case for transporting a painting at an art store. In this form, you can safely transport the painting by car, train or plane.

How to pack a painting on a stretcher.

Technically, packing a painting on a stretcher for transportation is not very different from transporting a framed painting. But do not forget that in this case the canvas is more susceptible to shocks and impacts when transporting the painting. Therefore, do not skimp on packaging materials, transport paintings in a rigid crate and entrust the transportation of the painting to the reliable transport company New Level LLC!

How to pack a painting without a stretcher.

This method of transporting a painting is very difficult - when rolling, there is a risk of cracks forming in the paint layer. Largely due to the fact that many, fearing for the integrity of the paint, roll the canvas with paint inward. This is mistake! To avoid cracks, roll the painting with the canvas on the inside and the paint on the outside! If the painting is old, cover it with gelatin and cover it with tracing paper.

It is better to roll up the canvas for transporting a painting onto a strong tube so that the painting does not sag under its own weight. For the same purpose, you can fill the space in the tube with soft packaging. Carefully place the folded picture in the drawing tube. If you don’t have a tube at hand, you can transport the painting in a plastic pipe of the appropriate length. In this case, the ends of the pipe should be closed with cardboard plugs and sealed with tape.

How to transport a wet painting?

Packing and transporting a wet painting is not an easy task. Any contact with the packaging will leave a mark on the paint layer. It makes the most sense to purchase a special case for transporting wet paintings, but little tricks will allow you to get by with improvised means.

Naturally, undried paintings are transported exclusively on stretchers. For transportation, it is better to take two wet paintings of exactly the same size. Place them right sides facing each other with a small gap. When packing paintings, do not allow their front sides to touch under any circumstances!

Using a staple gun, attach strips of rigid corrugated cardboard to the sides of the stretcher frames to keep the pictures from touching each other. Technically, you can get by with four cardboard corners at the corners of both transported paintings, but a continuous fastening improves the strength of the packaging of the paintings.

Are you planning to transport the second painting? Use a plywood (you can use corrugated cardboard packaging, but this reduces reliability) or hardboard screen of similar dimensions. Make sure that the thickness of the screen allows you to secure the cardboard spacer, otherwise you will have to attach construction brackets around the perimeter of the picture being transported and secure the screen to them. At an art store you can also purchase special brackets for transporting wet paintings.

After this, wrap the resulting structure of two paintings with cling film and pack the transported paintings as described above.

Do not forget that transporting a painting in any case does not imply shocks, shaking, and especially pressure from other cargo. Warn the transport company's loaders that the painting should be transported on top of other cargo, or order a painting transportation service from New Level LLC, and your painting will by default be transported in compliance with safety requirements!

How to transport a painting - a museum exhibit?

A separate issue is the transportation of a painting that is a museum exhibit and has high artistic and commercial value. Transporting such a painting is a very difficult and responsible task, which is best entrusted to the professional carrier company New Level LLC. Before transporting a painting as a museum exhibit, the restoration commission must necessarily give permission for its transportation. Transporting an oil painting or damaged tempera canvas is only possible between museums and restoration workshops.

To transport paintings of high artistic value, special coatings are used. Most often this is micalent - a special packaging material, which is a two-layer paper made from special types of wood, lined on the inside with mica-bitumen-varnish filler. To transport the painting, air bubble film and foam packaging are also used. Such paintings are packaged only in cases made of waterproof plywood with rigid lathing. The fastening of the packaging should protect the transported painting as much as possible from mechanical stress from the packaging or other cargo, shaking and vibration during transportation of the painting, as well as temperature changes.

Transportation of high value paintings is allowed only in vehicles with controlled temperature and humidity, and the conditions in the body must exactly correspond to the conditions of storage and display of the painting. Before packing the painting, the packaging materials must be kept for a minimum of two weeks in the same room in which the painting is stored.

If the cost of the painting being transported is high, it is advisable to clarify the route for transporting the painting, provide the car and driver with tracking and communication equipment, and organize armed escort for the transportation of the painting. While these measures are standard when shipping high-value goods, make sure the shipping company follows these guidelines. Better yet, entrust the transportation of the painting to a proven and reliable transport company, New Level LLC, whose range of services includes all measures to ensure the safety of the cargo!

If you plan to transport paintings across the state border, do not forget to contact the local department of the Ministry of Culture for a certificate of permission to export cultural objects. Otherwise, the transportation of paintings through customs may not be allowed.

When transporting a painting by plane, it is possible to pack the painting (on top of the packaging described above) in a large plastic folder. Most airlines check paintings packed this way as carry-on luggage. Try to take a place near the evacuation exit so that you can place a large-format picture.

And remember. The best way to transport a painting is to trust the professional and reliable transport company New Level LLC, which has proven itself in the market for transporting works of art. Our drivers have experience in delivering paintings, and our movers are equipped with the necessary packaging materials, which allows New Level LLC to provide a full range of services for packaging and preparing paintings for transportation. In this case, you will save yourself the hassle of packing and transporting the painting - and worrying about your paintings.

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