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 In this seminar, means by which the materials of art can be understood (historical documents and examination in a conservation lab) will be explored.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.