craqueren

Craqueren is a Dutch term referring to the development or deliberate creation of a craquelure, a fine network of cracks that appears in a glaze, paint layer, or varnish. The phenomenon can occur naturally through aging and environmental exposure, or be produced intentionally as a decorative effect in art and craft.

In ceramics and porcelain, craquelure commonly results from a glaze contracting differently than the ceramic body during cooling after firing. The mismatch in shrinkage creates a web-like pattern of cracks on the glaze surface, which may be small and spiderweb-like or more regular and grid-like. Crackled glazes are valued in many traditions for their texture and visual depth, and craftsmen may control factors such as glaze composition, thickness, body, and firing temperature to achieve a preferred pattern.

In painting, craquelure develops in the layered structure of oil or tempera works as the materials dry and age. The top varnish or paint layers shrink at different rates, producing cracks that can reveal the underlying ground or add a sense of age and character. Environmental conditions, such as humidity and light exposure, accelerate the formation of craquelure over time. Artists and conservators sometimes enhance or preserve this effect when it contributes to the artwork’s aesthetic or historical value.

Craqueren can be natural or artificial. Natural craquelure reflects the work’s age and history, while artificial craquelure is produced with crackle mediums or controlled treatments to imitate aged surfaces. In conservation, craquelure is assessed to understand a piece’s construction, provenance, and condition, and to determine appropriate stabilization or restoration strategies.