An Introduction to Art Conservation

Prepared by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

An Introduction to Art Conservation

Prepared by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

Copyright © 2008

American Institute for Conservation of

Historic and Artistic Works

1156 15th Street NW, Suite 320

Washington, DC 20005

What is Art Conservation?What is Art Conservation?

Image courtesy of Julie Heath & Ann Creager, Lunder Conservation Center.

Photos courtesy of Samantha Springer (top left), the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (lower right), and the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation.

Inpainting an oil painting on canvas

Photo courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, by Lazlo Bodo.

Consolidating paint on an architectural

interior at Shangri La

Photo courtesy of Natasha Loeblich.

Consolidating paint on a mask from

Papua, New Guinea

Photo courtesy of Megan McFarlane.

Basket composed of organic materials

Ceramics and glass are inorganic materials

Photos courtesy of Winterthur Museum & Country Estate (right) & Julie Heath, Lunder Conservation Center (left).

Archaeological

exploration of

Sardis, Turkey

Byzantine shop

Photo by Dylan Smith, courtesy of Kate Cuffari.

Photo courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, by Lazlo Bodo.

Bathing a work of art on paper

Stabilization of a tapestry

Photo courtesy of Christina Ritschel.

Before and after treatment images of a gelatin silver print

Eugene Smith, “Three Generations of Welsh Miners,” 1950, gelatin silver print. Photos courtesy of Christina Finlayson and Paul Messier.

Photo courtesy of Brian Considine, The J. Paul Getty Museum.

Furniture

conservation

treatment

Photo courtesy of Tania Collas and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Monitoring anatural history

collection exhibit

Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, taken by Joe Mikuliak.

Conservators assembling a

Louise Nevelson outdoor sculpture

Photos courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. Lower left and right photos by Lazlo Bodo.

What do conservators do?What do conservators do?

AIC’s Code of EthicsAIC’s Code of Ethics

Photo courtesy of Corine Norman.

Surface cleaning an Andy Warhol

print

Six Primary Activities of Conservation:Six Primary Activities of Conservation:• Examination

• Documentation

• Treatment

• Preventive Care

• Research

• Education

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Oman.

• Examination

• Documentation

• Treatment

• Preventive Care

• Research

• Education

Photo courtesy of the Art Conservation Department, Buffalo State College.

Six Primary Activities of Conservation:Six Primary Activities of Conservation:

Photos courtesy of Joyce Hill Stoner.

An x-radiograph of N. C. Wyeth’s sketch for a family portrait revealed his 1919 illustration “The Mildest Mannered Man” in Everybody’s Magazine

• Examination

• Documentation

• Treatment

• Preventive Care

• Research

• Education

Photo courtesy of Julie Heath & Ann Creager, Lunder Conservation Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum & National Portrait Gallery.

Six Primary Activities of Conservation:Six Primary Activities of Conservation:

Treatment images of a ceramic plate

Photo courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. Treated by Kate Cuffari.

• Examination

• Documentation

• Treatment

• Preventive Care

• Research

• Education

Photo courtesy of Anya Shutov.

Six Primary Activities of Conservation:Six Primary Activities of Conservation:

Photo courtesy of Adam Novak.

Surface cleaning a Pablo Picasso

drawing

Photo courtesy of the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts.

Bathing two works of art on

paper

Treatment of an engraved

print from 1553 made up

of 17 sheets of paper for a

total of 15 feet in length

Photo courtesy of the Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Photo courtesy of Megan McFarlane.

Consolidating paint on a mask from

Papua, New Guinea

Reconstruction and

compensation for loss of

a ceramic pitcher

Photo courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, treated by Samantha Springer.

Sculptures by John

Rogers, during

treatment (above) and

on display at the Luce

Foundation Center,

Smithsonian American

Art Museum (below)

Photo courtesy of Julie Heath, Lunder Conservation Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum & National Portrait Gallery.

• Examination

• Documentation

• Treatment

• Preventive Care

• Research

• Education

Photo courtesy of Anya McDavis-Conway.

Conservator measuring light levels

Six Primary Activities of Conservation:Six Primary Activities of Conservation:

Preventive Conservation Includes:Preventive Conservation Includes:

• Proper handling

• Packing and transport

• Housing/storage

• Monitoring the environment

• Conducting surveys and assessments

• Preparing for emergencies

• Guidelines for use of artifact or collection

Photos courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, The Joseph H. Hirshhorn Bequest, 1981. Photo by Chris Smith.

Pablo Picasso’s Head of a

Woman damaged by light

exposure

Photo courtesy of Lauren Cox.

Insect damage on

an historic carpet

Photo courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. Photo Debra Hess Norris.

Paper documents and

American Civil War era

swords damaged by

Hurricane Katrina at

Beauvoir, the Jefferson

Davis residential library

and home

• Examination

• Documentation

• Treatment

• Preventive Care

• Research

• Education

Photo courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation.

Six Primary Activities of Conservation:Six Primary Activities of Conservation:

Photo courtesy of Susan Buck.

Cross section of a paint sample from a

historic dining room at Eppington,

Chesterfield County, VA seen at 200x magnification in

reflected visible light

• Examination

• Documentation

• Treatment

• Preventive Care

• Research

• Education

Photo courtesy of Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. Photo by Joyce Hill Stoner.

Six Primary Activities of Conservation:Six Primary Activities of Conservation:

Teaching the public about art conservation at the

Lunder Conservation Center, Smithsonian Institution

Photo courtesy of Julie Heath, Lunder Conservation Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum & National Portrait Gallery.

What can you do to care for your collections?

What can you do to care for your collections?

Photo courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. Photo by Lazlo Bodo.

Seven Steps To Preservation:Seven Steps To Preservation:

1. Minimize the effects of light.

2. Provide stable, moderate relative humidity and temperature.

3. Minimize the effects of air pollution.

4. Minimize pest activity.

5. Know how to handle your objects.

6. Know how to display your objects.

7. Know how to store your objects.

Minimize the effects of light

The moccasin onthe left was light

damaged while on display;

the moccasin on the right has

always been keptin storage

Photo courtesy of the National Museum of American Indian, Smithsonian Institution. Photo by Kelly McHugh.

Provide stable, moderate relative humidity and temperature

Photo provided by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Minimize the effects of air pollution

Photo courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation.

Minimize pest activity

Photo courtesy Paul Messier.

Insect damage to a 19th century photograph, anonymous photographer.

Know how to handle your objects

Photo courtesy of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. Photo by Lazlo Bodo.

Know how to display your objects

Photo courtesy of Winterthur Museum & Country Estate.

Know how to store your objects

Photo courtesy of Jae Gutierrez.

www.conservation-us.org (202) 452.9545 • info@conservation-us.org

How to find a conservator…How to find a conservator…

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to all the individual and institutional members of AIC that contributed images to make this presentation possible.

Thanks to AIC 2008/2009 Public Outreach Lecture Task Force members Jae Gutierrez, Yadin Larochette, and Julie Heath for their

work on this presentation.

Sincere thanks to Brett Rodgers of AIC for his contributions to the project.