An Introduction To Art Conservation
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An Introduction to Art Conservation Prepared by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
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A presentation created by the American Institute for Conservation on the conservation of art. http://www.conservation-us.org/
Transcript of An Introduction To Art Conservation
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
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 • [email protected]
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.
