Our pilot study provided clear evidence that airborne sound can have a direct impact on canvas paintings, causing not only the canvas but also the stretcher and frame (if present) to vibrate; as such, airborne transmission routes must be considered alongside structure-borne routes when assessing the impact of sound on artworks. As has been observed before, the vibration levels measured within the canvases were higher than those measured in the stretchers or frames. These observations are important, both in trying to define criteria for sound levels in the vicinity of artworks, along with its character (time and/or frequency specific), and in thinking about how to approach sound-induced vibration mitigation.

This Week in Sound: Listening to Dry Paint – Disquiet