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?

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.

Bathing a work
of art on paper

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

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.

Furniture
conservation
treatment

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

Monitoring a
natural history
collection
exhibit

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

Conservators
assembling a
Louise Nevelson
outdoor sculpture

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

What do conservators do?

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

AICs Code of Ethics

Surface cleaning
an Andy Warhol
print

Photo courtesy of Corine Norman.

Six Primary Activities of

Conservation:

Examination
Documentation
Treatment
Preventive Care
Research
Education

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Oman.

Six Primary Activities of

Conservation:

Examination
Documentation
Treatment
Preventive Care
Research
Education

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

An x-radiograph of N. C. Wyeths sketch for a family

portrait revealed his 1919 illustration The Mildest
Mannered Man in Everybodys Magazine

Photos courtesy of Joyce Hill Stoner.

Six Primary Activities of

Conservation:

Examination
Documentation
Treatment
Preventive Care
Research
Education

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

Treatment images of a ceramic plate

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

Six Primary Activities of

Conservation:

Examination
Documentation
Treatment
Preventive Care
Research
Education

Photo courtesy of Anya Shutov.

Surface cleaning
a Pablo Picasso
drawing

Photo courtesy of Adam Novak.

Bathing two
works of art on
paper

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

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.

Consolidating
paint on a
mask from
Papua, New
Guinea

Photo courtesy of Megan McFarlane.

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.

Six Primary Activities of

Conservation:

Examination
Documentation
Treatment
Preventive Care
Research
Education
Conservator measuring light levels
Photo courtesy of Anya McDavis-Conway.

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

Pablo Picassos Head of a

Woman damaged by light
exposure

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

Insect damage on
an historic carpet

Photo courtesy of Lauren Cox.

Paper documents and

American Civil War era
swords damaged by
Hurricane Katrina at
Beauvoir, the Jefferson
Davis residential library
and home

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

Six Primary Activities of

Conservation:

Examination
Documentation
Treatment
Preventive Care
Research
Education

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

Cross section of a
paint sample from a
historic dining room at
Eppington,
Chesterfield County,
VA seen at 200x
magnification in
reflected visible light

Photo courtesy of Susan Buck.

Six Primary Activities of

Conservation:

Examination
Documentation
Treatment
Preventive Care
Research
Education

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

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?

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

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 on
the left was light
damaged while
on display;
the moccasin on
the right has
always been kept
in 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

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

Photo courtesy Paul Messier.

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.

How to find a conservator

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

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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.