ARTH 4314 The Materials of Art and their Conservation
Preservation of a (traditional) work of art requires understanding the materials of which it is made up, their condition, determining a course of treatment, then carrying out a treatment. In this seminar, means by which the materials of art can be understood (historical documents and examination in a conservation lab) will be explored. A major focus will be on how conservators determine the 'state of preservation' that is the desired outcome of a particular treatment (which is rarely how the work of art looked when it was newly created). Other topics are conservation controversies (including cleaning of the Sistine Chapel), 'authenticity' (and authentication) of works of art, and preservation of art that may include highly perishable materials, digital media, or performance. Although some of the subjects are technical, no background in college science is required.
Course overview
- Department
- Art History
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Every Fall
Requirements fulfilled
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.43 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 4.49 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 5
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Richard Newman | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 1–3 hrs/week | 7 of 9 |
| Fall 2024 | Richard Newman | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 8 of 11 |
| Fall 2023 | Richard Newman | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 of 8 |
| Fall 2022 | Richard Newman | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 1–3 hrs/week | 6 of 7 |
| Fall 2021 | Richard Newman | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.3 | — | 4 of 5 |