How long will arcrylic painting last compared to oil paint?

painting on canvasHow long will arcrylic painting last compared to oil paint?
More will depend on the surface that is painted on than the paint itself. Paintings on organic substrates such as unprimed or improperly sealed canvas, linen or wood stand the chance of deterioration over time. Conservators are in the business of removing paint from old disintegrating canvas and adhering them to new substrates.





Another consideration is pigments - inferior pigments will fade over time with exposure to light and oxygen.





Also, storage is an issue - museums and galleries keep consistent humidity levels and keep exposure to UV light and atmospheric pollution to a minimum.





Oil paint is proven to have lasted hundreds of years, even with the use of turpentine. (I do not agree with the above advice regarding alkyd resin-based Liquin instead of spirits to prolong longevity).





The jury is still out on acrylics - they've only been around since the 1950's. However, the chemical structure suggests that acrylics will suffer less breakdown over time.How long will arcrylic painting last compared to oil paint?
It is hard to say because there are oil paintings that have lasted centries, but some have deteriorated a bit. If you like oil, but want it to last a really long time, don't use turpentine or turpenoid to thin your paint....use another medium like Liquin.





Acrylic paint has not existed as long as oils, so we don't know exactly how it will turn out in 100s of years. It is basically plastic (doesn't really deteriorate), but it is hard to predict how an acrylic painted canvas will last.





Either way, each paint will last throughout your lifetime. I figure we can let the historical restorers deal with paintings in the future. Besides, we can document paintings with pictures now unlike they did long ago.
centuries longer...plastic doesn't breakdown.