Protective restoration and commercial restoration represent two different approaches to restore oil paintings.At present,the general,international approach to the oil painting restoration may involve many scientific and standard technical procedures.The paint layer,the canvas and the supports need to be reinforced,restored and conserved thoroughly and comprehensively.This integrated type of restoration method is called “Protective restoration”.On the other hand, commercial restoration is only a temporary form of restoration,which cannot thoroughly eliminate the underlying causes of damage in the oil painting.The principles of “Restoring the old as the old” and “Restoring the old as the new” have the common goal of emphasizing historical truth.But “Restoring the old as the old” emphasizes the true history at present whereas “Restoring the old as the new” emphasizes the return to the true history in the past.Therefore,during restoration,it is not simply to declare that which one is absolutely right.When confronted with a specific cultural relic or art work,whether to “Restoring the old as the old”,or “Restoring the old as the new” must be chosen according to the society's overall aesthetic evaluation and the specific environment.Oil painting is art of colors.From a general societal point of view old oil paintings should be restored as new.