Potential effect of huge painting on acoustics?

[klettermann]

Painting in question is 6x7ft oil on canvas mounted on wood stretcher in the usual fashion. Room is L22 x H7 x W12ft and painting would be on the end of the room facing speakers/TV and audio rack on the opposite end. So, it's about half of the rear wall surface and a major room mode location. The question arises because the canvas is basically a huge membrane with resonances of its own. Can it absorb bass energy or aggravate room modes? Or maybe dampen them cause it's absorbing energy (at least at some frequencies)?? Yes, of course one answer would be "just try it and see." That's not so easy though. The painting needs to disassembled and reassembled to get it into the room, a very tedious process. Before doing that I'd greatly prefer to get some informed views on the likely impact, if any. Anybody got real-world experience with this? As always, thanks in advance and cheers,

 

[staticV3]

The canvas will not resonate or aggravate room modes, unless perhaps it is under extreme, drum-like tension.

However, the wood stretcher it is mounted on may rattle against the wall, if not properly secured.

You could use foam tape between wall and stretcher to ensure that it won't rattle.

 

[DWPress]

I have a 7x5' painting in my home, open floor plan but the room is 12x30 with cathedral ceilings. I've never excited the room enough to worry about resonance from the painting. Smaller objects on shelves maybe but not the painting. Foam or rubber bumpers would definitely help if your worried (I do so on my glass framed art) and have the added bonus of keeping the painting square on the wall.

 

[Flaesh]

real-world experience

More than 10 years ago I observed the vibrations of a PVC banner fabric stretched on a frame made of steel pipe measuring about 8 x 15 feet. The waves were clearly visible to the eye, that is, the frequency was on the order of a few hertz.

The theoretical absorption of a damped membrane can be modeled in a simple calculator https://www.acousticmodelling.com/membrane.php

 

[Elkerton]

Like any other home furnishing, the painting will help break up room reflections some to good advantage, but not likely in the bass. Depending on how impervious the oil surface is, absorptive material behind the canvas may help tame the highs a little, but consider the aesthetics; the room will be more beautiful.

 

[klettermann]

Despite my whining I got the painting in the room and mostly reassembled. FWIW, I'd assume the canvas/paint permeability to be more or less zero. Such canvases are quite heavy in the first place and the paint effectively seals it. And, though it isn't stretched drum-tight, I can imagine a certain amount of movement. It would be interesting to put a 3" layer of rock wool behind it and see what happens, but unfortunately that's too much work. Regardless, I'll do room measurements when I'm able. Thanks for the comments and cheers,

 

[Flaesh]

for example