Why Do Paintings Age Differently Than Photographs?

Imagine an oil painting is like a cookie. When it is first made, the paint is wet and shiny. Over many years, the air slowly eats into the oils, making them harden and change color. This is called hardening. It takes hundreds of years for old paintings to look truly ancient.

Photographs are different. Old photos get pale because sunlight bleaches their colors, like fading a t-shirt. But digital photos? They live on tiny chips that do not change at all unless someone breaks the chip or deletes them. So while a painting slowly transforms into something new and beautiful, a photograph stays exactly the same until it suddenly disappears.

We love paintings because they hold time in their layers. We love photographs because they freeze time perfectly.