Conservation and resto Books

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Book SynopsisThis is a detailed and informative overview of the latest research and development in stone conservation. Petra, Angkor, Copan, Venice, Lascaux, Easter Island - all are examples of irreplaceable cultural heritage built in stone and now slowly disappearing. "Stone Conservation" is a tool for conservators and conservation scientists to guide policy, practice, and research in the preservation of stone in monuments, sculpture, and archaeological sites. This second edition reflects the explosion of new research, enlarging the discussion of preventive conservation and adding new sections on rock art and other subjects. It provides a strategic overview of stone conservation research and an updated critique of the field's strengths and weaknesses. The accompanying bibliography summarizes material published between 1995 and 2009 and provides a framework for building a coherent base of useful knowledge for practicing conservators and scientists.Trade Review"Dr. Doehne and Dr. Price have devoted their scientific careers to the study of stone deterioration and its conservation at the applied end of the business: between laboratories and museums, buildings and archaeological sites. Their international literature search and summary review is of paramount importance to practitioners and includes hard messages for the scientists of tomorrow. The Getty Conservation Institute is to be praised for enlightening this important field." --John A. Fidler, Staff Consultant - Preservation Technology, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger "Dr. Doehne and Dr. Price have devoted their scientific careers to the study of stone deterioration and its conservation at the applied end of the business: between laboratories and museums, buildings and archaeological sites. Their international literature search and summary review is of paramount importance to practitioners and includes hard messages for the scientists of tomorrow. The Getty Conservation Institute is to be praised for enlightening this important field." John A. Fidler, Staff Consultant - Preservation Technology, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger"

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Book SynopsisThis title offers an insightful collection of critically important readings on the concepts and practices of textile conservation. This fourth volume in "The Readings in Conservation series" aims to promote critical thinking about the concepts and practices of textile conservation and to encourage engagement with new issues. Recognizing conservation as a dynamic social force, the volume draws attention to the cultural significance of textiles and dress and to the importance of textile conservation. The 81 readings illustrate not only the intellectual foundations but also the important changes in conservation practice.

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Book SynopsisThis is a thorough investigation of the material and philosophical aspects of conserving contemporary art. Since the advent of the avant-garde in the early 20th century, visual artists have adopted new techniques and materials, some of whose characteristics of aging and wear are still largely unknown today. The conservator's intervention has become increasingly delicate, problematic, and experimental and requires not only technical knowledge of these materials but also a greater awareness of the artist's intellectual universe. "Conserving Contemporary Art" is one of the first books to give a comprehensive overview of the many considerations faced by the conservator of modern and contemporary art.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first English language technical study of one of the most important Italian artists of the post-WWII period. Lucio Fontana (1899-1968) is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative post-World War II Italian artists. Best known for his tagli - slashed, mostly monochromatic canvases - Fontana fashioned a remarkably multifaceted oeuvre that encompasses architecture, sculpture, and ceramics, as well as painting. In his quest to expand the vocabulary of his art, Fontana subjected the pictorial surface of his paintings to a remarkable assortment of punctures, gashes, and slashes, as well as adornments of glass fragments, glittering aluminium flakes, and sand. This richly illustrated book presents the first technical study in English of this important painter. Initial chapters present an informative overview of Fontana's life and work.

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Book SynopsisThis is a fascinating re-examination of the importance and legacy of provenance in the history of art. This book goes beyond the narrow definition of the term provenance, which addresses only the bare facts of ownership and transfer, to explore ideas about the origins and itineraries of objects, consider the historical uses of provenance research, and draw attention to the transformative power of ownership. The result is a volume of essays that makes a strong case for recuperating provenance - what contributing author Anne Higonnet calls "so many epic tales compressed into such dry lists" - for the history of art. Provenance attends to the social life of art, a work's biography subsequent to the moment of its origin. "Provenance" offers a broad perspective, ranging from ancient archaeology to conceptual art, that encompasses Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and considers a variety of media. The essays demonstrate in myriad ways how an owner's relationship with a work of art or, in varying degrees, with the object's previous owners can change irrevocably the way the work will be perceived and understood by future generations.

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Book SynopsisThis is an indispensible volume for creators, curators, and conservators of installation art. Installation art is an evolving, often ephemeral medium that defies rigid categorization. It has also radically transformed the concepts of space, time, and the experience of art. The conservation field is faced with unique challenges over how best to manage and preserve the essence of these works. How detailed can documentation get? When does the replacement of original components become acceptable? How does the field cope with the obsolescence of certain technologies? By exploring the questions and dilemmas facing those who care for art installations, this book intends to raise awareness and promote discussion about the various conservation approaches for these works.

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Book SynopsisThis title gathers together the most important texts on this critical topic, from antiquity to today. The sixth volume in the Getty's Readings in Conservation series, which gathers more than 65 texts that have been influential in the development of thinking about the conservation of cultural heritage, from antiquity to the present day. The volume is divided into nine parts: Philosophies of Preventive Conservation, Keeping Things, Early Years of Conservation in Museums, Relative Humidity and Temperature, Light, Pests, Pollution, The Museum Environment and Risk Management, and Future Trends. Writings by such well-known figures as John Ruskin, and Rachel Carson are complemented by selections from diverse sources including early housekeeping books, 18th-century archivist manuals, and Victorian novels. Other seminal texts include John Evelyn's 17th-century tract on air pollution in London and the founding manifesto of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings by William Morris.

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Book SynopsisThis is the definitive account of the ground-breaking conservation project to conserve the cave paintings of the Mogao Grottoes in China. The Mogao Grottoes, a World Heritage Site in northwestern China, are located along the ancient caravan routes, collectively known as the Silk Road, that once linked China with the West. Founded by a Buddhist monk in the late fourth century, Mogao flourished over the following millennium, as monks, local rulers, and travellers commissioned hundreds of cave temples cut into a mile-long rock cliff and adorned them with vibrant murals. More than 490 decorated grottoes remain, containing thousands of sculptures and some 45,000 square metres of wall paintings, making Mogao one of the world's most significant sites of Buddhist art. In 1997 the Getty Conservation Institute, which had been working with the Dunhuang Academy since 1989, began a case study using the Late-Tang dynasty Cave 85 to develop a methodology that would stabilize the deteriorating wall paintings. This abundantly illustrated volume is the definitive report on the project, which was completed in 2010.

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Book SynopsisThis book is essential reading for archaeologists working in the field, as well as conservation scientists, museum curators and students of archaeology. The relationship between archaeology and conservation has long been complex and, at times, challenging. Archaeologists are often seen as interested principally in excavation and research, while conservators are concerned mainly with stabilization and the prevention of deterioration. Yet it is often initial conservation in the field that determines the long-term survival and intelligibility of both moveable artefacts and fixed architectural features. This user-friendly guide to conservation practices on archaeological excavations covers both structures and artefacts, starting from the moment when they are uncovered. Individual chapters discuss excavation and conservation, environmental and soil issues, deterioration, identification and condition assessment, detachment and removal, initial cleaning, coverings and shelters, packing, and documentation. There are also eight appendixes. Geared primarily for professionals engaged in the physical practice of excavation, this book will also interest archaeologists, archaeological conservators, site managers, conservation scientists, museum curators, and students of archaeology and conservation.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the seventh in the Readings in Conservation series, which gathers and publishes texts that have been influential in the development of thinking about the conservation of cultural heritage. The present volume provides a selection of more than ninety-five texts tracing the development of the conservation of works of art on paper. Comprehensive and thorough, the book relates how paper conservation has responded to the changing place of prints and drawings in society. The readings include a remarkable range of historical selections from texts such as Renaissance printmaker Ugo da Carpi's sixteenth-century petition to the Venetian senate on his invention of chiaroscuro, Thomas Churchyard's 1588 essay in verse "A Sparke of Frendship and Warme Goodwill," and Robert Bell's 1773 piece "Observations Relative to the Manufacture of Paper and Printed Books in the Province of Pennsylvania." These are complemented by influential writings by such figures as A. H. Munsell, Walter Benjamin, and Jacques Derrida, along with a generous representation of recent scholarship. Each reading is introduced by short remarks explaining the rationale for its selection and the principal matters covered, and the book is supplemented with a helpful bibliography. This volume is an indispensable tool for museum curators, conservators, and students and teachers of the conservation of works of art on paper.Trade Review"The entire volume is meticulously and beautifully compiled. The readings--some humorous, many serious, all of high academic caliber--reveal Holben Eilis's comfort with the enormous depth of available material, a remarkable dedication to the care of works of art on paper, and a deep admiration for her colleagues, both historic and contemporary. This book caters specifically to conservators of works of art on paper, though students, conservators of historic documents, book conservators, art historians and collectors are all sure to find material that is enlightening and thought-provoking."--Art in Print "The book ably sets out and succeeds in establishing the antecedents of modern conservation practice and sets the milestones for on-going study."--Icon News "This anthology will influence generations of conservation and art history students to come. Proposing well-known literary pieces next to obscure ones will amuse and inform those of us engaged in the conser-vation of works of art on paper and will assist us in our decision-making, conservation approaches and dilemmas. Finally, the book will appeal to anyone with an interest in works of art on paper and their preservation, making it a highly fulfilling read."--Journal of the Institute of Conservation

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Book SynopsisIn recent years more cultural institutions in hot and humid climates have been installing air-conditioning systems to protect their collections and provide comfort for both employees and visitors. This practice, however, can pose complications, including problems of installation and maintenance as well as structural damage to buildings, while failing to provide collections with a viable conservation environment. This volume offers hands-on guidance to the specific challenges involved in conserving cultural heritage in hot and humid climates. Initial chapters present scientific and geographic overviews of these climates, outline risk-based classifications for environmental control, and discuss related issues of human health and comfort. The authors then describe climate management strategies that offer effective and reliable alternatives to conventional air-conditioning systems and that require minimal intervention to the historic fabric of buildings that house collections. The book concludes with seven case studies of successful climate improvement projects undertaken by the Getty Conservation Institute in collaboration with cultural institutions around the world. Appendixes include a unit conversion table, a glossary, and a full bibliography. This book is an essential tool for cultural heritage conservators and museum curators, as well as other professionals involved in the design, construction, and maintenance of museums and other buildings housing cultural heritage collections in hot and humid climates.Trade Review"It is absolutely right that conservation be in step with the socio-political context surrounding environmen-tally sound approaches. This text does that, and does it well. The authors have, admirably, been awarded the 2016 Prose Award for Environmental Science, and they are to be congratulated for producing a text that is seen as having an impact outside of the conservation sphere. The technical theory that underpins the text is accessible, and the solutions borne out through the case studies do present as being admirably pragmatic." --Journal of the Institute of Conservation

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Book SynopsisThe decades following the 1973 publication of Alessandro Conti's Storia del Restauro have seen considerable scholarly interest in the development of restoration in France in the second half of the eighteenth century. A number of technical treatises and biographies of restorers have offered insight into restoration practice. The Restoration of Paintings in Paris, 1750-1815, however, is the first book to situate this work within the broader historical and philosophical contexts of the time. Initial chapters present the diversity of restoration practice, encompassing not only royal institutions and the Louvre museum but also private art dealers, artists, and craftsmen, and examine questions of trade secrecy and the changing role of the restorer. Following chapters address the influence of restoration and exhibition on the aesthetic understanding of paintings as material objects. The book closes with a discussion of the institutional and political uses of restoration, along with an art historical consideration of such key concepts as authenticity, originality, and stability of artworks, emphasising the multi-layered dimension of paintings by such important artists as Titian and Raphael. There is also a useful dictionary of the main restorers active in France between 1750 and 1815.

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Book SynopsisEarthquakes pose myriad dangers to heritage collections worldwide. This book provides an accessible introduction to these dangers and to the methodologies developed at the Getty and other museums internationally for mitigating seismic vulnerability. Conceived as a primer and reference, this abundantly illustrated volume begins with an engaging overview of explanations for earthquakes from antiquity to the nineteenth century. A series of chapters then addresses our modern understanding of seismic events and approaches for mitigating the damage they cause to heritage collections, covering such subjects as earthquake measurement, hazard analysis, the response of buildings and collections to seismic events, mount making, and risk assessment; short sections by specialists in seismic engineering complement the main text throughout. Readers will find a range of effective seismic mitigation measures, from simple low-cost approaches to complex base-isolation techniques. In bridging the gap between seismologists and seismic engineers, on the one hand, and collections care professionals, on the other, this volume will be of interest to conservators, registrars, designers, mount makers, and others involved in the management and care of collections in museums and other cultural institutions. "Trade Review"With this volume, Podany makes an important contribution to museums of all sizes, whether or not they are located in areas where earthquakes are a daily concern."--Journal of the American Institute for Conservation

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Book SynopsisIn recent years, funding for the conservation of cultural heritage has become increasingly difficult to obtain, and this trend shows no sign of changing significantly in the foreseeable future. The twelfth triennial meeting of the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics, held in Sardinia in October 2014, focused on the theme of cost, broadly considered, relating specifically to the preservation and presentation of the world's mosaic heritage.This handsome, abundantly illustrated proceedings volume provides a comprehensive record of the conference. The volume's sixty-seven papers and posters, comprising contributions from more than one hundred leading experts in the field, reflect the conference's principal themes: cost, methods of survey and documentation, conservation and management, education and training, backing materials and techniques, presentation and display, and case studies. Papers are presented either in English, French, or Italian; there are abstracts in English and either French or Italian for all entries.The volume will be of interest to conservators, sitemanagers, and others responsible for conserving the mosaic heritage, especially in these challenging times.

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Book SynopsisBarbara Furlotti presents a dynamic interpretation of the early modern market for antiquities, relying on the innovative notion of archaeological finds as mobile items. She reconstructs the journey of ancient objects from digging sites to venues where they were sold, such as Roman marketplaces and antiquarians' storage spaces; to sculptors' workshops, where they were restored; and to Italian and other European collections, where they arrived after complicated and costly travel over land and sea. She shifts the attention away from collectors to the elusive peasants with shovels, dealers and middlemen, and restorers who unearthed, cleaned up and repaired or remade objects, recuperating the role these actors played in Rome's socioeconomic structure. Furlotti also examines the changes in economic value, meaning, and appearance that antiquities underwent as they moved from person to person during their journey and as they reached the locations in which they were displayed. Drawing on vast unpublished archival material, she offers answers to novel questions: How were antiquities excavated? How and where did peasants, merchants, and agents trade them? How was a price agreed upon between sellers and buyers? How were laws about the ownership of ancient finds made, followed, and evaded?

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Book SynopsisSidney Nolan (1917-1992) is renowned for an oeuvre ranging from views of Melbourne's seaside suburb St. Kilda to an iconic series on outlaw hero Ned Kelly. Working in factories from age fourteen, Nolan began his training spray painting signs on glass, which was followed by a job cutting and painting displays for Fayrefield Hats. Such employment offered him firsthand experience with commercial synthetic paints developed during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1939, having given up his job at Fayrefield in pursuit of an artistic career, Nolan became obsessed with European abstract paintings he saw reproduced in books and magazines. With little regard for the longevity of his work, he began to exploit materials such as boot polish, dyes, secondhand canvas, tissue paper, and old photographs, in addition to commercial and household paints. He continued to embrace new materials after moving to London in 1953. Oil-based Ripolin enamel is known to have been Nolan's preferred paint, but this fascinating study-certain to appeal to conservators, conservation scientists, art historians, and general readers with an interest in modern art-reveals his equally innovative use of nitrocellulose, alkyds, and other diverse materials.Trade Review"Paula Dredge's exhaustive technical analysis of the work of one of Australia's greatest and most complex painters, Sidney Nolan, . . . is essential reading to anyone curious to see how a particular alchemy works to make an artist's imagery unforgettable. Staring into her microscope with huge respect and admirable clarity of writing, the author never abandons the implication of Nolan's mystery beyond mere methodology. Better than that, she enhances it." --Barry Pearce, Emeritus Curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales "This extensively researched and amply illustrated book reveals important findings about Sidney Nolan's materials and methods, and makes a significant contribution to the understanding of his work. Its rich blend of scientific information, biographical narrative and relevant images makes it accessible to the interested reader as well as conservators and art historians. Much more than a technical guide, it is a key resource for any serious Nolan scholar." --Kendrah Morgan, Senior Curator, Heide Museum of Modern Art

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Book SynopsisThe proliferation of new metals-such as stainless steels, aluminium alloys and metallic coatings-in modern and contemporary art and architecture has made the need for professionals who can address their conservation more critical than ever. This volume seeks to bridge the gap between the vast technical literature on metals and the pressing needs of conservators, curators and other heritage professionals without a metallurgy background. It offers practical information in a simple and direct way, enabling curators, conservators and artists alike to understand and evaluate the objects under their care. This invaluable reference reframes information formerly found only in specialised technical and industrial publications for the context of cultural heritage conservation. As the first book to address the properties, testing and maintenance issues of the hundreds of metals and alloys available since the beginning of the twentieth century, it is destined to become an essential resource for conservators, artists, fabricators, curators, collectors and anyone working with modern metals.

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Book SynopsisOver the last fifty years, conservation professionals have confronted increasingly complex political, economic, and cultural dynamics. This volume, with contributions by leading international practitioners and scholars, reviews how values-based methods have come to influence conservation, takes stock of emerging approaches to values in heritage practice and policy, identifies common challenges and related spheres of knowledge, and proposes specific areas in which the development of new approaches and future research may help advance the field.Table of ContentsForeword - Jeanne Marie Teutonico Acknowledgments Part 1: Background Introduction Mapping the Issue of Values: A Discussion - Erica Avrami and Randall Mason Part 2: Topical Papers Spatializing Values in Heritage Conservation: The Potential of Cultural Mapping - Erica Avrami Heritage Work: Understanding the Values, Applying the Values - Kristal Buckley The Shift towards Values in UK Heritage Practice - Kate Clark Understanding Values of Cultural Heritage within the Framework of Social Identity Conflicts - Karina Korostelina The Contemporary Values behind Chinese Heritage - Kuanghan Li Values-Based Management and the Burra Charter: 1979-1999-2013 Is Conservation of Cultural Heritage Halal?: Perspectives on Heritage Values Rooted in Arabic-Islamic Traditions - Hossam Mahdy Changing Concepts and Values in Natural Heritage Conservation: A View through Policies of IUCN and UNESCO - Josep-Maria Mallarach and Bas Verschuuren Valuing Traumatic Heritage Places: Arguing for Societal Values in Conservation - Randall Mason Values and Relationships between Tangible and Intangible Dimensions of Heritage Places - Ayesha Pamela Rogers The Paradox of Valuing the Invaluable: Managing Cultural Values in Heritage Places - Tara Sharma Heritage Economics: Coming to Terms with Values and Valuation - David Throsby From the Inside Looking Out: Indigenous Perspectives on Heritage Values - Joe Watkins Appendix: Conclusions and Recommendations of the Symposium Participants Further Readings in Heritage Values - Complied by Erica Avrami and Randall Mason Symposium Participants About the Contributors

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Book SynopsisThroughout its long history in Western art, canvas has played an influential role in the creative process. From the Renaissance development of oil painting on canvas to the present day-through Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and other art historical movements-the use of canvas has enhanced the scale of painting, freedom of brushwork, and spontaneity in technique. This book recounts some of that rich history in relation to corresponding developments in conservation practice. Rather than concentrating on the familiar concerns of cleaning and varnish removal, this volume considers the preservation of a painting's structure. By focusing on recent studies on the fundamental nature of canvas and its mechanisms of deterioration, the book explains new approaches to the conservation of both contemporary and historical art-including reversible, passive, and preventive treatments, particularly with respect to lining. Written by Stephen Hackney, a conservation practitioner and leader in conservation research, On Canvas is the first book to take a comprehensive look at this important subject and is destined to become an invaluable resource for the field.

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Book SynopsisThis volume vividly recounts, for general readers, the Roman town of Herculaneum, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and uniquely preserved for nearly two thousand years. Initial chapters offer an engaging historical overview of the town during antiquity, including the riveting story of its rediscovery in the eighteenth century, excavation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and broad cultural significance in modern times. Subsequent chapters offer an interpretive tour of the ancient town, then focus on one of Herculaneum’s grandest and most beautifully decorated private residences, known as the House of the Bicentenary. Located on the town’s main street, it has a range of features—original rooms, magnificent wall paintings and mosaics, and remarkable documents—that illuminate daily life in the ancient world. Final chapters bring the story up to date, including recent discoveries about the site and its famous papyrus manuscripts, as well as ongoing conservation initiatives.

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Book SynopsisAuthor David Saunders, former keeper of conservation and scientific research at the British Museum, explores how to balance the conflicting goals of visibility and preservation under a variety of conditions. Beginning with the science of how light, color, and vision function and interact, he proceeds to offer detailed studies of the impact of light on a wide range of objects, including paintings, manuscripts, textiles, bone, leather, and plastics. With analyses of the effects of light on visibility and deterioration, Museum Lighting provides practical information to assist curators, conservators, and other museum professionals in making critical decisions about the display and preservation of objects in their collections.

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Book SynopsisMedieval polychrome wood sculptures are highly complex objects, bearers of histories that begin with their original carving and adornment and continue through long centuries of repainting, deterioration, restoration, and conservation. Abundantly illustrated, this book is the first in English to offer a comprehensive overview of the conservation of medieval painted wood sculpture for conservators, curators, and others charged with their care. Beginning with an illuminating discussion of the history, techniques, and meanings of these works, it continues with their examination and documentation, including chapters on the identification of both the wooden support and the polychromy itself-the paint layers, metal leaf, and other materials used for these sculptures. The volume also covers the many aspects of treatment: the process of determining the best approach; consolidation and adhesion of paint, ground, and support; overpaint removal and surface cleaning; and compensation. Four case studies on artworks in the collection of The Cloisters in New York, a comprehensive bibliography, and a checklist to aid in documentation complement the text.

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Book SynopsisVibrant colour was essential to the paintings of the American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), and when he began exploring outdoor sculpture in the late 1970s, vivid hues-often achieved through the use of recently developed industrial paints and coatings-remained an important part of his artistic vocabulary. Today, preserving these remarkable works after they have endured decades in outdoor environments around the world is an issue of pressing concern. This abundantly illustrated volume is based on extensive archival research of his studio materials, interviews with his assistants, and a thorough technical analysis of the sculpture Three Brushstrokes, now in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum. The book concludes with a chapter showing various options for the care, conservation, and restoration of Lichtenstein's sculptural works, making this an essential resource for conservators, curators, and others interested both in the iconic artist and modern sculpture in general.

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Book SynopsisEggshells, flowers, onion peels, sponge cake, dried bread, breast milk-these are just a few of the biological materials that some contemporary artists have used to make art. But how can works made from such perishable ingredients be preserved? And what ethical and conceptual dilemmas might be posed by doing so? Because they are prone to rapid decay, even complete disappearance, biological materials used in art pose a range of unique conservation challenges. This groundbreaking book probes the moral and practical challenges associated with displaying, collecting, and preserving these unique works of art. Theoretical considerations are complemented by a range of specific case studies, thereby affording a comprehensive and richly detailed overview of current thinking and practices on this topic. With contributions by conservators, scholars, curators, and artists, Living Matter is the first publication to address broadly these provocative issues, exploring the role of biological materials in the creative process and presenting a wide variety of possible approaches to their preservation. The free online edition of this publication is available at getty.edu /publications/living matter/ and includes videos and zoomable illustrations. Also available are free PDF, EPUB, and Kindle/MOBI downloads of the book.Trade Review“The world of conservation is finally considering the vitality of artworks that can act as quasi agents of their own. The proceedings of this important symposium on the conservation of biological materials in art illuminates, through a wide range of case studies, how traditional approaches both to art and to conservation fail to adequately address the new materiality of post-anthropocentrism.”-- Marina Pugliese, Professor, Art History and Visual Culture Department, California College of the Arts (CCA)

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Book SynopsisAlmost every museum in the world is confronted with plastics in their collections. Research initiatives and knowledge concerning the conservation of heritage objects made of plastics have proliferated over the last twenty-five years, necessitating this up-to-date, comprehensive resource. Intended as a highly practical guide for the conservation community, this authoritative book offers information essential to understanding plastics, polymers, and rubber/elastomers and their behaviors in the cultural heritage context. Numerous graphs, diagrams, and illustrations allow readers to compare the mechanical, physical, thermal, and optical properties of these substances during conservation. Aimed at the hands-on museum practitioner, this book will assist professionals in choosing the appropriate materials for cleaning, adhering, and consolidating plastic objects-with the result that collections will benefit from a longer lifespan. Complementing the main chapters, fifty-six illustrated "fact sheets" summarize, at a glance, the properties of those plastics most commonly found in museum collections. Six informative case studies present real-world examples of current conservation approaches to works of art and design made of plastics and rubber/elastomers. Under the expert authorship of Thea B. van Oosten, conservation scientist, educator, and internationally regarded authority on the behavior and properties of plastics, this instructive volume is destined to become an invaluable resource for the field.Trade Review"The conservation of plastic objects is a new challenge for cultural heritage. This book, written by a recognized expert in the field, provides conservation students and conservators with the solid and comprehensive foundation needed to best care for our modern and contemporary heritage-a must-read text- and reference book!"-Bertrand Lavedrine, coordinator of the POPART project, Centre de Recherche sur la conservation, Paris; "A must-read for conservators, but also interesting for conservation scientists and curators confronted with plastic material, especially in modern art, textiles, and furniture. The book is very well structured, very informative, and beautifully illustrated. The book provides a base for understanding the chemistry of plastic, explained in a highly understandable fashion with several case studies focused on a wide range of conservation issues. In addition, fifty-six fact sheets present the most relevant plastics in an outstanding manner. A joy to read."--Maarten R. van Bommel, Professor of Conservation Science, University of Amsterdam; "A must-have introduction for conservation students, as well as an everyday handbook for conservators who care for the preservation of collections with objects made of plastic. This publication is an important step in raising awareness of the conservation of plastic objects."--Friederike Waentig, Technische Hochschule Koeln

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Book SynopsisThis handsomely illustrated volume traces the intersections of art history and paintings restoration in nineteenth-century Europe. Repairing works of art and writing about them-the practices that became art conservation and art history-share a common ancestry. By the nineteenth century the two fields had become inseparably linked. While the art historical scholarship of this period has been widely studied, its restoration practices have received less scrutiny-until now. This book charts the intersections between art history and conservation in the treatment of Italian Renaissance paintings in nineteenth-century Europe. Initial chapters discuss the restoration of works by Giotto and Titian, framed by the contemporary scholarship of art historians such as Jacob Burckhardt, G. B. Cavalcaselle, and Joseph Crowe that was redefining the earlier age. Subsequent chapters recount how paintings conservation was integrated into museum settings. The narrative uses period texts, unpublished archival materials, and historical photographs in probing how paintings looked at a time when scholars were writing the foundational texts of art history, and how, simultaneously, contemporary restorers were negotiating the appearances of these works. The book proposes a model for a new conservation history, object focused yet enriched by consideration of a wider cultural horizon.Trade Review"An enjoyable book, full of new information and pertinent critical judgments. The central role of restoration in the history of museums has never been more visible."-Neville Rowley, curator at the Gemaldegalerie and Bode-Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; "Matthew Hayes's radical new study, written by a professional conservator, affords fascinating fresh insights into the complexity of conservation campaigns on Renaissance paintings in the nineteenth century, examining how successive interventions record and embody vital, but all too often neglected, knowledge. Re-situating the work of significant restorers within their historical, intellectual and cultural contexts, he elucidates their distinctive contributions to the interpretation of the art of the past within a network of diverse authorities, including owners and custodians, art historians, dealers, and museum professionals. Bringing to bear new conservation data as well as archival discoveries, Hayes argues that past restorations were never value-neutral but evidence instead their own complex art historical contexts. This rigorous yet highly readable study raises many questions relevant for contemporary practice and will be an indispensable, thought-provoking resource for art historians, conservators, and non-specialists alike."--Susanna Avery-Quash, Senior Research Curator (History of Collecting), National Gallery, London;; “This book explores the complex relationships between two disciplines that were in flux in nineteenth-century Europe: the history of art, in particular that of the Italian Renaissance, and the restoration of paintings. The author, a paintings conservator and art historian, is uniquely qualified to provide what is a fascinating historiographical deep dive into the period. Focusing on a series of thematically arranged case studies, Dr. Hayes explores the nature of restoration, highly specific to its time and place, and its connections to the people and ideas that shaped Europe’s great picture galleries. Important questions are threaded throughout: What did those early art historians, restorers, dealers, curators, and museum directors likely see when they looked at paintings? What was done to restore and preserve these works? How did this change their appearance? What traces of these activities exist today? And critically, how do these observations and interventions intersect with the contemporaneous art historical imaginations that were creating the concept of the Italian Renaissance? The answers make compelling scholarship.;; Familiar artists, paintings, and collections are viewed through a new lens. Using a wide range of sources— the nineteenth-century art historical literature of course, but also museum archival records, photographs, restorers’ accounts and letters, modern examination reports, and the material record of the paintings themselves—the author expertly creates a persuasive narrative of museum practice, art historical scholarship, and restoration in dialogue. This is a timely and important book; many of the traces of early restorations are disappearing as pictures are treated anew, just at a time when scholarly interest in the history of restoration is growing, and our scientific ability to study and understand the material history of a work of art becomes more accurate and less invasive. Elegantly written and amply illustrated, scholarly yet refreshingly jargon-free, this accessible book clearly explains both conservation activities (many no longer practiced) and the historiography of Italian Renaissance art. There are also concise biographies of the restorers who worked on pictures in Florence, Milan, Venice, and Berlin, giving welcome presence to the people so often overlooked in traditional art historical accounts. For all these reasons, The Renaissance Restored is essential reading for art historians, curators, conservators, and scholars of European intellectual history.” —Michele D. Marincola, Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of Conservation, Institute of Fine Arts, New York UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Finding Giotto in Florence Chapter 2: Titian and the Weight of Tradition Chapter 3: Charles Eastlake Directs Conservation Chapter 4: Bode, Hauser, and the Renaissance Museum Conclusion: Restoration and the Renaissance in the Nineteenth Century Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisPresenting new scholarship, this publication is an innovative technical study of the Concrete art movement in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay from the 1940s to the 1960s.;; Purity Is a Myth presents new scholarship on Concrete art in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay from the 1940s to the 1960s. Originally coined by the Dutch artist Theo van Doesburg in 1930, the term concrete denotes abstract painting with no reference to external reality. Van Doesburg argued that there was nothing more real than a line, color, or plane. Artists such as Willys de Castro, Lygia Clark, Waldemar Cordeiro, Hermelindo Fiaminghi, Judith Lauand, Raúl Lozza, Tomás Maldonado, Hélio Oiticica, and Rhod Rothfuss would reinvent this concept in postwar Latin America.;; Drawing on research conducted by Getty and international partners, the essays in this volume address a variety of topics, including the general history, emergence, and reception of Concrete art; processes and color; scientific analysis of works; illustrated chronologies of the paint industry in Brazil and Argentina; and Concrete design on paper. An innovative technical study of the Concrete art movement in Latin America, this volume will be indispensable to scholars, practitioners, and students of Latin American art.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Zanna Gilbert, Pia Gottschaller, Tom Learner, and Andrew Perchuk The Myth of Purity: New Material Histories of Concrete Art 1. New perspectives on the emergence of Concrete art from Argentina and Brazil Niko Vicario (Amherst College) Material Relations: Torres-Garcia and Concrete Art from Argentina Maria Amalia Garcia (Conicet) Rhod Rothfuss y el marco recortado. Sintesis de tradiciones de la cultura rioplatense Heloisa Espada (Instituto Moreira Salles) Waldemar Cordeiro e o Grupo Forma: a via romana da arte concreta paulista 2. Generative Processes in Concrete Art Irene Small (Princeton University) Cut, Fuse, Fissure: Planarity circa 1954 Aliza Edelman (Independent Scholar) Judith Lauand's Sketchbooks and the Visualization of Concrete Form in 1954 Pia Gottschaller (Courtauld Institute), Tom Learner (GCI) and Joy Mazurek (GCI) Hermelindo Fiaminghi's Quadrature of the Circle between 1954 and 1959: From Concrete Enamel to Giotto's Tempera 3. Concretizing Color Idurre Alonso (GRI), PG (Courtauld Institute), C. C. Marsh (GRI), Andrew Perchuk (GRI), Lynn Lee (GCI) Energy, Legibility, Purity: Color in Argentine Concrete Art Mari Carmen Ramirez and Corina E. Rogge (Museum of Fine Arts Houston) Looking to the Past to Paint the Future: Innovative Anachronisms in the work of Alfredo Volpi and Helio Oiticica Luiz Camillo Osorio (PUC-RJ) The Adventure of Color in Brazilian Art: Aluisio Carvao, Helio Oiticica and Roberto Burle-Marx 4. Concrete Art on Paper Isabel Plante (Universidad de San Martin) Printing Invention: Art-work, Project or Device Zanna Gilbert (GRI) Kissers and Biters: The Matter of Language and Design in the work of Willys de Castro and Hermelindo Fiaminghi 5. Analyzing Concrete Art: Technical Overviews Luiz Souza, Yacy-Ara Froner, Alessandra Rosadeo, Maria Alice Sanna castello Blanco, Giula Giovani (LACICOR: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais) Experimentation & Materiality: Constructing the Brazilian Artwork, 1950s-1960s Pino Monkes (Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires) Arte Concreto Argentino - Primera Decada: Entre la tradicion material y formal y la innovacion Fernando Marte (TAREA, Universidad de San Martin) Estudios tecnicos en el Arte Concreto del Rio de La Plata 6. The Reception of Concrete Art in Museums and Academia Aleca Le Blanc (University of California, Riverside) A History of the Field 7. Chronologies Florencia Castella and Sofia Frigerio (TAREA, Universidad de San Martin) Paint Production in Argentina, 1940-1960 Joao Henrique Ribeiro Barbosa (LACICOR: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais) Paint Production in Brazil, 1940s-1960s

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Book SynopsisEngagingly written and profusely illustrated, this book offers readers a close-up "view from the scaffolding" of some of the greatest Renaissance wall paintings at the Vatican. Beginning in the late 1400s, the greatest artists of Renaissance Italy were summoned to Rome, where they decorated the walls and ceilings of the Vatican. Expert restorer Maurizio De Luca spent his forty-year career in the Vatican Museums, including fifteen years as head restorer of the Painting Restoration Laboratory. He personally oversaw some of the most important restorations of the last half century, including wall paintings by Perugino, Botticelli, and others on the walls of the Sistine Chapel; the Pintoricchio wall paintings in the Borgia Apartments; the Raphael Rooms; and the last two frescoes by Michelangelo, in the Pauline Chapel at the Apostolic Palace. In this accessible and copiously illustrated book, De Luca conveys the kind of knowledge that can only be derived from close personal observation. The reader is offered a stunningly intimate perspective that illuminates the distinctive expressive challenges, choices, and techniques of each artist and demonstrates how the conservation process enriches the understanding and interpretation of these iconic works.Trade Review"This book is indispensable in facilitating, simply and lucidly, the approach to one of the most important places in history and in the world through the murals that illustrate it. The images chosen to accompany the text are of excellent quality, allowing even the non-expert reader to follow the author's thinking without difficulty as it unfolds, and for the scholar they correctly support his assertations." --Il Giornale Dell'Arte

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Book SynopsisRene Magritte (1898-1967) is the most famous Belgian artist of the twentieth century and a celebrated representative of the Surrealist movement. Much has been written about his practices, artistic community, and significance within the history of modernism, but little has been documented regarding his process. Though he was reluctant to discuss his techniques and materials, practical concerns over media and cost shaped his output and legacy. This volume examines fifty oil paintings made by Magritte between 1921 and 1967, now held at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. This technical study of his works using noninvasive scientific imaging and chemical analysis reveals the artist's painting materials, his habit of overpainting previous compositions, and the origins and mechanisms of surface and pigment degradation. Of interest to conservators, scientists, curators, and enthusiasts of twentieth-century art, this book expands our understanding of Magritte the artist and provides new and useful findings that will inform strategies for the future care of his works.

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Book SynopsisIn 2019 Yale University, with the support of the Getty Foundation, held an international conference, where nearly four hundred attendees from more than twenty countries gathered to discuss a vital topic: how best to conserve paintings on canvas. It was the first major symposium on the subject since 1974, when wax-resin and glue-paste lining reigned as the predominant conservation techniques. Over the past fifty years, such methods, which were often destructive to artworks, have become less widely used in favor of more minimalist approaches to intervention. More recent decades have witnessed the reevaluation of traditional practices as well as focused research supporting significant new methodologies, procedures, and synthetic materials for the care and conservation of paintings on fabric supports. Conserving Canvas compiles the proceedings of the conference, presenting a wide array of papers and posters that provide important global perspectives on the history, current state, and future needs of the field. Featuring an expansive glossary of terms that will be an invaluable resource for conservators, this publication promises to become a standard reference for the international conservation community.

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Book SynopsisThis volume tells the singular story of an uncanny object at the cusp of art and science: a 450-year-old automaton known as “the monk.” The walking, gesticulating figure of a friar, in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, is among the earliest extant ancestors of the self-propelled robot. According to lore from the court of Philip II of Spain, the monk represents a portrait of Diego de Alcalá, a humble Franciscan lay brother whose holy corpse was said to be agent to the miraculous cure of Spain’s crown prince as he lay dying in 1562. In tracking the origins of the monk and its legend, the authors visited archives, libraries, and museums across the United States and Europe, probing the paradox of a mechanical object performing an apparently spiritual act. They identified seven kindred automata from the same period, which, they argue, form a paradigmatic class of walking “prime movers,” unprecedented in their combination of visual and functional realism. While most of the literature on automata focuses on the Enlightenment, this enthralling narrative journeys back to the late Renaissance, when clockwork machinery was entirely new, foretelling the evolution of artificial life to come.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first online step-by-step guide to the design, implementation, and maintenance of heritage inventories and surveys.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents the first material study of the celebrated contemporary Chinese artist, Cai Guo-Qiang, known worldwide for his subversive use of unusual materials, particularly gunpowder.

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Book SynopsisBridging scholarly research and conservation practice, this long overdue resource provides conservation professionals with the information needed to analyze preservation issues and implement efficient, long-lasting treatments.

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Book SynopsisIn 1966, the most destructive flood in the history of Venice temporarily submerged the city and threatened its extraordinary art and architecture. Among the organizations that mobilized to protect this fragile heritage was Save Venice Inc. Founded in Boston and now headquartered in New York City, this nonprofit has become the largest and most active committee dedicated to preserving the artistic legacy of Venice.Christopher Carlsmith tells the fascinating story of Save Venice Inc., from its origins to its fiftieth anniversary. It continues to provide an influential model for philanthropy in the cultural sector, raising substantial funds to conserve and restore paintings, sculptures, books, mosaics, and entire buildings at risk from human and environmental impacts. Employing extensive archival research, oral interviews, and newspaper accounts, Save Venice Inc. explores a range of topics, including leadership, conservation projects, fundraising, and educational outreach. Using a range of methodologies from cultural history and art history, Carlsmith traces the achievements and challenges faced by this and other historic preservation organizations and by this unique city on the sea.

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Book SynopsisEnchanted by their beauty, complexity, and historical significance, the Bartuskas began researching, visiting, and photographing the region's round barns soon after Tom accepted a teaching position at Washington State University's architecture department in 1963. Focusing on structures over fifty years old, at least two stories, and over fifty feet in diameter, the authors eventually found twenty-one, and made it their mission to create a comprehensive inventory. Since most of the barns were constructed in the early 1900s, the couple explored archives to gather remarkable historic photographs and paperwork. When possible, they also took interior and exterior photographs and talked with owners to tell the story of each one--who built it and when, original and current uses, individual characteristics, construction details, and extra anecdotes they learned along the way. They also revisited several sites to document what changed over time.In addition, the Bartuskas introduce the hows and whys, as well as the fascinating history and development of round barns across the United States. The structures continue to succumb to economic and technological changes, as well as to fire, disrepair, and the forces of nature. Since the authors started their project, seven of the barns no longer exist, and several of the remaining fourteen are in serious trouble. Hoping to inspire others to help maintain, preserve, and restore these unique cultural icons, they include examples of successful re-use and creative conservation nationwide, along with other significant ways to save additional types of barns, buildings, and rural communities in order to preserve a vanishing rural heritage.

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Book SynopsisMaster sculptor Auguste Rodin’s illuminating writings on cathedrals in France are especially relevant and significant following the recent fire at Notre Dame.In this volume, the writer and Rodin scholar Rachel Corbett selects excerpts from the famous sculptor’s book Cathedrals of France, first published in 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I. Cathedrals were central to the way Rodin thought about his art: he saw them as visual metaphors for the human figure, among the finest examples of craftsmanship known to modern man, and as a model for how to live and work—slowly, brick by brick.Here, Corbett takes the fire at Notre Dame and the concerns over its restoration as an entry point in an exploration of Rodin’s cathedrals. Rodin adamantly opposed restoration, as he felt it often did more damage than the original injury. (Many of the cathedrals that Rodin looks at in his texts were, in fact, bombed during the war.) But while he rails against various restoration efforts as evidence that “we are letting our cathedrals die,” the book, with its tenderly rendered sketches and written portraits, is itself an attempt to preserve these cathedrals. The selection of texts in this volume is a reminder—as is the tragedy of Notre Dame—of why we ought to appreciate these feats of architecture, whether or not they are still standing today.

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