Additional support applied to the back of a wooden panel painting to prevent or correct warping or splitting. It consists of a latticework of wooden batons, which are designed to allow some movement perpendicular to the grain of the panel in response to changes in humidity. Cradling has been used extensively since the 18th century or earlier, and many panel paintings have been thinned to accept a cradle, often with damaging long-term results. Because of the inevitable constraints on the expansion and contraction of the painting, cradling may cause more damage than it prevents and is thus no longer considered an acceptable method of reinforcement or repair (for further discussion and illustration see PANEL PAINTING,
See the Abbreviations for further details.
