A selection of acrylic emulsion paints was applied to glass slides, artificially aged with intense light and examined with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis and water immersion to monitor any changes with light exposure. The principal change appeared to be the incremental disappearance of surfactant from the surface of the paint films. The solubility in tetrahydrofuran, a high-swelling organic solvent, was observed to decrease slightly for several paints, with an accompanying decrease in average molecular weight (MW) in their soluble fractions, both of which pointed to cross-linking reactions. However, in some paints no change was observed and in a few and increase in solubility (and MW of the soluble fraction) was noted. Colour measurements of thermally aged samples showed acrylic emulsion paints to be highly resistant to yellowing, in contrast to oil and alkyd paints. -- SCMRE