Craquelé

Craquelé, or craquelure, is a network of fine cracks that appears on a surface, most commonly on paintings and ceramic glazes. The term comes from the French craquelé, meaning cracked. Craquelé can be natural aging, a cosmetic effect, or a mixture of both, and patterns vary from delicate spider-webs to broader, irregular networks.

In paintings, craquelure develops as the paint and varnish layers age and shrink at different rates. Factors such as humidity, temperature fluctuations, the binder and ground, and the thickness of the paint film influence crack formation. Oil paintings are especially prone to craquelure. The pattern can provide information about a work’s age, provenance, and past restorations, and conservators study and sometimes stabilize or consolidate affected areas to prevent further deterioration.

In ceramics, craquelé refers to crackle glaze, where the glaze develops a network of cracks either naturally during cooling or intentionally by technique. This effect is achieved through glaze chemistry, firing schedules, and the interaction between glaze and body. Historic examples include Ge ware types from Song dynasty China, known for their distinctive crackle patterns. Crackle glazes can be valued for their aesthetic texture and historical associations, and they may be enhanced by staining the cracks or by in-glaze decoration.

Other materials, such as leather or plaster, can also develop craquelé with age or through environmental stress. In all contexts, craquelé is often documented by collectors and restorers as a sign of age or as a deliberate stylistic feature. Conservation approaches focus on stabilization, prevention of further cracking, and, when appropriate, controlled enhancement of the pattern.