A Painting Transformed: From Pastoral Sunset to Burning Sodom

Once in a while, an artwork is not only aesthetically or structurally improved during treatment – it is completely transformed. This is the case with a privately owned painting treated during 2015 (Fig. 1).

 

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Figure 1 Before Treatment: Landscape with Ruins, Oil on canvas. (© Titmus)

Formerly attributed to Leonardo Coccorante (1680-1750), the ostensible subject of the painting corresponds with the eighteenth-century fashion for scenes of Roman ruins. The work depicts a pastoral landscape featuring crumbling ancient columns, with the skyline of a city in the distance highlighted by the setting sun.

When the work arrived at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, an incredibly thick, discolored varnish and heavy layer of grime obscured the scene. Examination with ultraviolet light did not reveal the extent of previous restoration. During cleaning, it started to become astonishingly clear that the entire sky and city in the distance had been overpainted. Many of the buildings in the distance had been completely invented, as was the sunset. Removing the previous restoration uncovered red and yellow shooting flames in the background – in fact, the entire city was ablaze. Additionally, the figures in the foreground had been altered. The blue-robed figure was not a shepherd, but rather an angel: the staff the figure carried was a later addition, and the figure’s large, white wings had been hidden by overpaint.

These discoveries led to the reassessment of the painting’s subject matter after treatment (Fig. 2). The most plausible identification of the narrative, given the newly manifest iconography, was that of the biblical account of Lot. The Book of Genesis describes how angels warned Lot of God’s imminent destruction of the cities of Sodom. This allowed Lot, his wife, and two of his four daughters to escape. However, the other two daughters and their husbands refused to flee and thus perished. In grief, Lot’s wife looked back towards the burning city and turned into a pillar of salt. Accordingly, in the painting, there is a small white figure in the background. The scene depicted in the painting follows this narrative remarkably closely, except that it pictures four young women (instead of only two daughters) at the far left. One possible explanation is that two of the women are Lot’s daughters, and two are angels leading them to safety; however, the worn condition of all four figures makes it difficult to distinguish any wings or otherwise characteristic features.

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Figure 2 After Treatment, Landscape with Ruins, Oil on canvas (© Titmus)

The attribution to Leonardo Coccorante was also called into question because of the painting’s drastic alteration. While famous for his dramatic scenes of ruins, Coccorante is not known to have depicted biblical subjects. It was hoped that technical analysis would clarify the painting’s dating or region of origin. The work was analysed using X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy to detect the elements present within the paint and, therefore, infer the presence of various pigments. Dispersed pigment samples were also taken and examined with polarized light microscopy. The range of pigments identified unfortunately does not point to a specific geographic location or time period, but considering the painting’s other physical characteristics and stylistic attributes, the work most likely dates to the seventeenth or eighteenth century. This means that we cannot confirm or rule out Coccorante as the author and that other attributions should still be considered. François de Nomé (1593-1620) stands out as a particularly plausible alternative possibility: this French painter was based out of Rome and later Naples, and his dramatic scenes of ruins tend to deal with disastrous mythological or biblical narratives. In this sense, an attribution to this painter is perhaps more credible than that of Coccorante, though this text declines to make any definitive assignment.

Treating this painting was a rich experience and necessitated close consultation with the work’s owner. The treatment itself, the details of which are beyond the scope of this post, was challenging in that it required using various approaches to overpaint removal. Additionally, the heavily abraded state of the painting (which likely factored into the reason for overpainting in the first place) as well as a large loss in the lower right corner, necessitated difficult decisions regarding the appropriate extent of retouching. The transformation of the painting during treatment leaves lingering questions as to the work’s circumstances of creation and the identity of the painter.

One day, perhaps, these mysteries will be solved.

Kari Rayner – 1st year Post Graduate Intern at the Hamilton Kerr Institute

Ms Kari Rayner graduated with a Master of Arts in Art History and gained an Advanced Certificate in Art Conservation from New York University, USA. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History, Art Theory and Practice from Northwestern University, USA. During her graduate studies, Kari interned at the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne and worked at Modern Art Conservation in New York, NY. Her final-year internship was undertaken at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and she will be returning to the NGA in fall 2016 to begin an Advanced Fellowship in Paintings Conservation.

To contact Kari Rayner: rayner.kari.s@gmail.com

Review of 2016 ENCoRE Conference, Cambridge

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ENCORE Conference, held at Wolfson College, Cambridge. (© 2016 Polkownik)

ENCoRE is a network organisation of European higher education institutions operating in the field of conservation-restoration. It was founded in 1997 with the principal objective to promote and develop research and education in the conservation of cultural heritage. The conference held in Cambridge on April 13th 2016 was entitled “ENCoRE: On Practice in Conservation-Restoration Education”. Two more days followed, called General Assembly, where the different actors talked about the current issues in conservation education.

As the title says, education is a major focal point of ENCoRE. Another important point that was raised that day was the importance of research and its relationship to education. In many other fields, it is easy to imagine these two linked. But for us conservators, linking lab research to studio practice is not always easy.

A short summary of each talk follows:

Key-note speaker René Larssen, associate professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, stressed in his presentation the importance of doing research consistently, in small practical projects. Through two case studies, he showed how simple observations of alterations can be translated into hypotheses that can then be investigated by researchers and scientists. In short, early and systematic communication between conservators and researchers leads to a faster problem solving and thus a better understanding of the aging of our treatments on works of art. Another very important point he raised was the need to adopt standardized terms through the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), an idea that was backed up by Leslie Carlyle during the Q&A. She illustrated her argument with the need for standardisation of UV filters so that photos of artworks and cross sections can be compared between institutions.

Sebastian Dobrusskin, Professor for Conservation and Restoration of Graphic Art and Photography at Bern University of the Arts, described the structure of the conservation programme at his university and mentioned the difficulties of communication related to the three national languages of Switzerland: German, French and Italian, as well as new research programs more adapted to students needs.

Elisabeth Peacock, Professor at the University of Gothenburg, explained how she designed a Research Methods Course from scratch, after receiving complaints from students feeling unprepared for independent research. After attending an ICOM Summer Course in 2013, in four months she designed a structured course oriented towards problem-solving learning formats, so students can become familiar with research methods while benefitting from collaboration with students from different backgrounds and levels of ability.

Alison Heritage, ICCROM, talked about the importance of educators in promoting research. Heritage science creates cultural values and links various fields together, and in her opinion, collaboration is the key element to success as a discipline. She also acknowledges that teamwork can be challenging due to lack of trust between individuals with vast differences in personalities or culture.

Like Peacock, Lecturer in Conservation at the University of Oslo Douwtje van der Meulen put together a course package and worked with students to improve it. The course was centred around general skills such as problem solving and critical thinking, basic research skills and communication. Her teaching philosophy is called “active learning” as inspired by Confucius’ quote: “Tell me and I will forget, show me and I will learn, involve me and I will understand.” By teaching students how to gain knowledge through research, then discussing their results and using their findings in an essay, she noticed that the information was better assimilated since the students could see how to use it in their practice.

Key-note speaker Leslie Carlyle, currently Professor at the University of Lisbon presented case studies demonstrating the gap between the information available in conservation and the practice. She notably pointed out how long it takes for practices to be properly studied and written about, choosing the example of the nylon coating (used on everything and anything since it was so popular in the 1960’s) and diammonium citrate for the cleaning of paintings. She also demonstrated the passage of time between the publication of literature and its assimilation into practice. In a case study, she spoke of conservators ignoring the literature or not having access to it, and choosing to use products that were no longer recommended, creating long-lasting conservation issues for objects. Finally, she mentioned the latest conference on Lead Soaps, held in March 2016 at the Rijksmuseum. This conference was, in her opinion, the first one where conservators and scientists fully collaborated in order to get a better understanding of this degradation phenomenon and to find solutions to the problems created by these soaps. As conservators are doing more and more research, they elevate themselves to the level of scientists, which helps them better formulate questions to get faster answers.

Boris Kvasnica, Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, explained the structure of the conservation programme and the importance of collaboration between different fields, illustrating his point with case studies of students in conservation, chemistry and art history successfully working together.

Finally, the last speaker was Silvia García Fernández-Villa, associate professor at the University of Madrid, stressed the importance of including students in research projects to help them get familiar with specific materials and analysis methods used in conservation science. She used, as an example, projects past and ongoing dealing with synthetic polymers and their ageing. Not only were the students improving their knowledge in chemistry and science, they could apply this newfound knowledge to practical cases, notably contemporary artworks.

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Panel discussion at the end of the day. (© 2016 Polkownik)

The talks ended with a panel discussion, which raised questions like “what is conservation research” or “how much should research be stressed in the conservation-restoration curriculum?” but these questions will not be discussed in length in this article. Participants then enjoyed a glass of wine while gathering around the posters designed by students.

In conclusion, this conference, although oriented towards teachers and how to make their courses better, was very interesting for students and young graduates. This forum showed that teachers are constantly trying to improve conservation-restoration coursework, despite little means, little time and heavy responsibilities and expectations from schools and universities.

Camille Polkownik – 1st year Post Graduate Intern at the Hamilton Kerr Institute

The students posters will be soon posted on CeROArt (the link will be added as soon as it becomes available).

Ms Camille Polkownik graduated with a Master Degree in the Conservation and Restoration of Paintings in 2014, from the École nationale supérieure des arts visuels de La Cambre in Brussels . She also has a Bachelor degree in the Conservation and Restoration of Painted Works (2011) from the Superior School of Fine Arts, in Avignon, France. She has interned in the Royal Institute for Culture Heritage (KIK-IRPA, Belgium), the Museum of Fine Arts in Nice (France), in private studios and at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia).

To contact Camille Polkownik : camille.polkownik@gmail.com

The Restoration of a Virgin and Child Tondo for the Madonnas & Miracles Exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum

This School of Botticelli tondo depicting the Virgin and Child was bequeathed to the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1912. During the autumn of 2015 it came to the Hamilton Kerr Institute in preparation for a loan. Upon initial inspection it became clear that the heavily blistering and slightly flaking panel was likely to be under internal stress from the battens on the reverse. Due to the importance of the piece and its projected display at the Botticelli Reimagined exhibition at the V&A (2016) and the upcoming Madonnas and Miracles exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum (7 March – 4 June 2017), it was possible to raise funds to allow us to fully explore the cause of the blistering and undertake a complete conservation and restoration treatment. During the treatment it was found that certain paint layers and the paint medium deserved further investigation.

Structural Work

The paint and ground layers were consolidated before structural work could commence. Over time, a number of cracks had begun to form in the wooden support from the edges inwards, resulting in local tenting of the ground and paint layers. These fragile layers were secured and visibly improved during the consolidation treatment, which offered a better overall surface of the painting. The presumed tension, manifested in the cracks from the edges of the panel, was supported by the fact that the battens, which appear to be non-original, were unable to move in the original dovetail grooves. It was therefore decided to temporarily remove the battens and plane down the areas causing friction in order to fit them back into their grooves. In their slightly thinned state they will in the future provide support without restraining slight natural movement of the poplar panel in response to minor shifts in relative humidity.

Pigment and Medium Analysis

X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and cross section analysis respectively were employed to determine the pigments used and to observe layer structures in order to enable comparison with other paintings.1,2 An elemental composition reading of specific passages was attained with the non-destructive XRF technique. This in turn allowed well-informed sampling for cross sections to illustrate the build-up of layers. The pigments and layer structure were found to correspond to a typical build-up in late 15th century Florentine paintings3 comprising of a white gesso layer on top of the wooden support followed by a glue priming, and in some cases a white oil priming, which was then finished off with the actual paint layers.

However, unlike many of Botticelli’s paintings, this tondo did not show the characteristic hatching typical of egg tempera painting technique. The presence of brushstrokes and impasto suggested the use of either an oil rich tempera grassa4 (an egg and oil emulsion medium) or neat oil paint. A small sample was removed from an area of loss in the light sky area in order to investigate the medium that was used. With the aid of cross section staining (using ), it was possible to conclude that very little to no protein (egg) was utilised in the paint layers, whereas the glue and ground layers stained positive for protein. A reason for this slightly unusual choice of medium for Botticelli’s workshop and period may have been influenced by guidelines of the commission, the patron, or a desired visual impact.5

Varnish and Grey Layer Removal

After successful surface cleaning and varnish removal a selectively applied grey layer extending over the flesh, Virgin’s robe, and some of the background, became apparent. This resulted in a ‘veil’ concealing the delicate shading of the faces and drapery. During inspection under the microscope, it became clear that this layer extended into cracks and was therefore unlikely to be original. Solvent tests determined a suitable cleaning solution and enabled the safe removal of the grey, obscuring layer.  The painting thus regained its original tonal values and balance of highlights and shadows.

Restoration: filling and retouching

Paraloid® B72, a stable synthetic resin, was applied as a transition layer to saturate paint layers after successful consolidation and cleaning of the painting. Subsequently, the losses were filled with a water soluble putty consisting of chalk and gelatine. These losses were then textured to emulate the surrounding area and retouched using the retouching technique traditionally employed at the Hamilton Kerr Institute: First, lightfast loose pigments bound in egg tempera medium are applied to achieve the opaque lower/baselayers of the painting, which are then followed by pigments bound in a synthetic resin, in this case Gamblin Conservation Colours™, to imitate final glazes. A final synthetic resin varnish was spray-applied to even out the gloss of the painting. The composition-gilt frame that had received glazing for the exhibition was lined with gummed paper tape and self-adhesive felt tape to reduce the risk of abrasion from the rebate to the painting’s edges. Brass plates affixed to the frame were shaped to fit the painting and hold it securely in its frame. In order to protect the painting better from fluctuations in humidity and dirt a hardboard backing was screwed onto the reverse of the frame.

Michaela Straub – 3rd year student at the Hamilton Kerr Institute

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About the author

Currently in her third year studying easel painting conservation at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, Michaela Straub graduated from Aberystwyth University with a BA in Fine Art and Art History in 2012. She has undertaken internships in private studio’s, the Denkmalschutzamt in Germany and the Kunsthistorische Museum in Vienna.

To contact Michaela Straub: straubmich@aol.com


  1. Bersani, P. P. Lottici, A. Casoli, and D. Cauzzi, ‘Pigments and binders in “Madonna col Bambino e Giovannino” by Botticelli investigated by micro-Raman and GC/MS’, Journal of Cultural Heritage, vol. 9, 2008, pp. 97-102.
  2. Castelli, M. Ciatti, C. Lalli and A. Ramat, ‘Il Restauro del Ritratto di Giovanne con Mazzocchio di Sandro Botticelli’, OPD Restauro: Rivista dell’Opificio delle pietre dure e laboratorio di restauro di Firenze, vol. 23, 2011, pp. 141-154.
  3. Dunkerton and A. Roy, ‘The Materials of a Group of Late Fifteenth-century Florentine Panel Paintings’, National Gallery Technical Bulletin, vol. 17, 1996, pp. 20-31.
  4. Dunkerton, ‘Modifications to traditional egg tempera techniques in fifteenth-century Italy’, Early Italian Paintings Techniques and Analysis Symposium, Maastricht 1996.
  5. Dunkerton, ‘Osservazioni sulla tecnica delle opera di Sandro Botticelli alla National Gallery di Londra’, in: D. Gasparotto, A. Gigli, F. Motta, Il tondo di Botticelli a Piacenza, Milan 2006, pp. 67 – 79.

In-Situ at Weston Park, Staffordshire

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Front view of Weston Park. (© 2016 Kari Rayner)

Weston Park is a 17th century manor house owned by the Weston Park Foundation. It has been the seat of the Earls of Bradford since the 17th Century. The house is now open to the public for visits and guided tours in addition to offering venue for conferences, weddings and other events. The collection at Weston Park includes beautiful pieces of furniture, ceramics, tapestries and an impressive collection of paintings that hang in every room, including works by Van Dyck, Holbein the Younger, Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds and George Stubbs. For 20 years, these paintings have been the subject of annual in-situ visits by the Hamilton Kerr Institute, which has mainly focused on remedial, preventive and simple aesthetic treatments. This week usually takes place during the Manor’s off-peak season, allowing the conservators, including students and interns, to stay on site during this time in the highest of style!

In February 2016, senior conservator Mary Kempski headed up a team of four interns, Kari Rayner, Sarah Bayliss, Carlos Gonzalez Juste and Sven van Dorst, for the Weston Park in-situ. The work was carried out in the Music Room, a long, spacious room decorated mainly with paintings of the family’s champion horses. Over the week, we treated 16 paintings and their frames performing such tasks as surface cleaning, consolidation, revarnishing and conservation framing.

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Setting up in the Music Room. (© 2016 Sarah Bayliss)

As with most in-situ projects, some of the paintings worked on would have benefitted from more interventive treatments, such as varnish and overpaint removal. However, as time, space and resources are limiting factors with regard to in-situ work, stabilising the paintings and improving their framing was of primary importance. However, there are several ways to improve a painting’s aesthetic in close confines; surface cleaning drastically improved the visibility in a number of paintings, and as varnishes often become less saturating over time, revarnishing as needed with a stable synthetic varnish such as RegalrezTM was an excellent way of restoring some of the saturation and depth to paintings. This can also help with evening the overall gloss, particularly when previous restorations have aged and become matter over time.

Another important part of the work as part of this in-situ project was to improve the framing of paintings. In the past many paintings were held in the frame by nails, which often damages the stretcher and tacking margins and make the painting difficult to safely remove. Framing can be improved by lining the frame with paper tape and felt, so that the paint surface has a cushion to rest against rather than wood of the frame. Fixings are replaced by brass plates that are screwed in, allowing paintings to be easily removed from the frame in the future. Stretcher keys can sometimes become loose and fall down in between the canvas and stretcher, resulting in damages to the canvas and paint layers: this can be prevented by tying the keys to the stretcher. A Tyvek® backing was added to the reverse of all of the frames to cover the backs of the paintings. This acts as a barrier, protecting the back of the painting from knocks, water damage and the ingress of dirt.

Documentation is also important part of an in-situ visit, as unframing paintings allows them to be properly evaluated for condition and potential issues that might cause problems in the future. Flaking paint and the weakening of the painting’s structural support (for example, the tearing of canvases or splits in wooden panels) are issues which can often be addressed in-situ, but may require further or more elaborate treatment in the studio. This condition checking of paintings is an important part of collection care, and can nip problems in the bud and prevent greater damage to the paintings from neglect.

 

During our in-situ at Weston Park, there were several opportunities for us to interact with the public and spread the word of conservation! This primarily took the form of ‘conservation in action’ tours, in which people were bought in to see what we were up to. This allowed individuals to directly ask us questions about the treatments of the painting, and also more generally about what we do as conservators. In addition to these tours, we were hounded by the Shropshire press. Mary Kempski and Sarah Bayliss appeared on the local radio talking about painting conservation, the Hamilton Kerr Institute and the in-situ project at Weston Park. The following day, reporters from the Shropshire Star interviewed Mary and took photographs of us in action.

It was refreshing for us to see the staff at Weston Park taking an interest in our work and to have facilitated our engagement with the local community, and we hope by sharing our experiences through this forum to equally engage a wider audience with our profession.

Sarah Bayliss – 1st year Post Graduate Intern at the Hamilton Kerr Institute


About the author

Ms Sarah Bayliss is a graduate of the Post-graduate Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings at The Courtauld Institute in London. She also has a Master of Chemistry from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK.

To contact Sarah Bayliss: sarahebayliss@gmail.com

In Situ at Middle Temple, London

Summary of our in situ at Middle Temple, London, 26-30/10/2015

 

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Panorama of Middle Temple (© Middle Temple)

 

 

 

 

From the 26th to the 30th of October 2015, Amiel Clarke (2nd year student), Kari Rayner (1st year Post Graduate Intern), Sarah Bayliss (1st year Post Graduate Intern) and myself (1st year Post Graduate Intern) accompanied Senior Painting Conservator Mary Kempski to Middle Temple in London (http://www.middletemple.org.uk/).

Middle Temple is one of the four Inns of Court which have the exclusive right to call students to the Bar. One of Middle Temple’s main functions now is to provide education and support for new members to the profession. It is also a professional society with international members. Middle Temple is located in the wider Temple area of London, near the Royal Courts of Justice. One of their core purposes is the maintenance of the Inn’s estate and its historic heritage: this is where we painting conservators come in.

We were called to treat paintings with various damages, such as small tears, scratches in the varnish or matt spots, and the accumulation of heavy grime. The specific setting at Middle Temple presented additional complications and required problem solving as a team.

The work was done on site, as the paintings needed minor treatments. The challenge was twofold: conserving 7 paintings, mostly portraits, in four days and doing so in a restricted space. This meant collaborating with each other at all times, as some of the paintings were large and could not be moved single-handedly. The configuration of the room also had to be modified numerous times in order to swap the artworks around and allow framing on the tables.

This on-site job was beneficial for both student and interns, as it taught us to work closely with each other.  Repeating the treatments on the frames helped us get better and faster at framing: lining the rebate with both brown paper and felt, measuring and cutting balsa spacers to prevent the painting from slipping in the frame, applying soft backboards made out of Tyvek…Having the chance to work in such a secret and beautiful environment is always a benefit, especially when areas are not open to the public and we would not have had the occasion to visit Middle Temple otherwise. We would like to thank Lesley Whitelaw, Senior Archivist at Middle Temple, for making our stay so enjoyable, and will now let the photos speak for themselves.

Camille Polkownik – 1st year Post Graduate Intern at the Hamilton Kerr Institute

Ms Camille Polkownik graduated with a Master Degree in the Conservation and Restoration of Paintings in 2014, from the École nationale supérieure des arts visuels de La Cambre in Brussels . She also has a Bachelor degree in the Conservation and Restoration of Painted Works (2011) from the Superior School of Fine Arts, in Avignon, France. She has interned in the Royal Institute for Culture Heritage (KIK-IRPA, Belgium), the Museum of Fine Arts in Nice (France), in private studios and at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia).

 To contact Camille Polkownik : camille.polkownik@gmail.com

Workshop: The Cleaning of Acrylic Paintings

Course Leader: Bronwyn Ormsby, Principal Conservation Scientist at Tate, United Kingdom.

This two day workshop on the Cleaning of Acrylic Paintings took place in December 2015 at the Hamilton Kerr Institute (Cambridge, UK). The workshop was aimed at conservators with an interest in acrylics but not necessarily experienced with this modern material. The morning sessions were dedicated to the history of modern paints and theory of cleaning while the afternoons were more hands-on.

During these two afternoons, we tested and rated various products used for the cleaning of modern and contemporary artworks. The much-anticipated micro-emulsions, developed in collaboration with the Dow Chemical Company, were made in situ by Ormsby. They offer new possibilities for the cleaning of modern paint layers; although, when we tested them on naturally aged and artificially soiled acrylic samples, there was a natural aura of uncertainty. Depending on the solutions, some did not remove enough of the soiling, and other options worked a little too well, where some pigment was removed with the grime layer. Ormsby suggested it was possible some pigments were not locked into the film upon drying  and that as a result, there could be some loose pigment on the paint surface, hence the sensitivity to the slightest mechanical action, which underlines the importance of the application of cleaning products onto these paint layers. Also, some colours were more sensitive than others, like the synthetic organic red paint tested (PV19); the response was also quite dependent on the brand of the acrylic paint used. A lot of information to assimilate for us conservators of Old Masters!

This workshop was a real eye-opener, in the sense that despite knowing these modern paints are difficult and breed new conservation issues, having the chance to actually test many cleaning products on “safe” samples taught us a lot without the risks and consequences of experimenting on real artworks.

A poll was done at the end of the workshop to underline which solutions worked best, and which did not. It was interesting to see that once again, the results were not black and white. Two conservators with the same samples had different results, probably due to handling and application technique. Nevertheless, Ormsby recorded the results in order to understand which systems and micro emulsions worked best overall, to keep improving them for studio use. Ormsby was very down to earth and calm as well as encouraging. No, we do not understand all the problems yet and certainly don’t have all the solutions, but we are progressing towards a better understanding of the risks associated with modern paints, and the research feeding into the development of improved cleaning materials and studio practice.

Camille Polkownik – 1st year Post Graduate Intern at the Hamilton Kerr Institute

Ms Camille Polkownik graduated with a Master Degree in the Conservation and Restoration of Paintings in 2014, from the École nationale supérieure des arts visuels de La Cambre in Brussels . She also has a Bachelor degree in the Conservation and Restoration of Painted Works (2011) from the Superior School of Fine Arts, in Avignon, France. She has interned at the Royal Institute for Culture Heritage (KIK-IRPA, Beligum), the Museum of Fine Arts of Nice (France), in private studios and at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia).

To contact Camille Polkownik : camille.polkownik@gmail.com

 

Conservation of rare books

For more stories from the other conservation departments at the Fitzwilliam Museum, visit the Conservation and Collections Care blog!

Makiko Tsunoda was Icon intern in Manuscript and Rare Book Conservation, sponsored by the Sumitomo Foundation, until April 2013.

Welcome to the conservation students’ and interns’ blog! The primary aim of my internship is to conserve rare books and manuscripts held in the Founder’s Library of the Fitzwilliam Museum. This is taking up the majority of my time, and allows me to expand my skills and knowledge regarding condition assessment, planning, and book conservation treatments.

The Founder's Library in the Fitzwilliam Museum (left); and some of the rare books I have been conserving (right)
The Founder’s Library in the Fitzwilliam Museum (left); and some of the rare books I have been conserving (right)

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More painting reconstructions: gilding and punching

In the previous post, I shared my experiences of making a reconstruction from a detail of Virgin Adoring the Child by Jacopo del Sellaio (dated c. 1473). While creating the copy, I learned about the materials and methods utilized for painting with egg tempera. The use of egg tempera is characteristic of early Italian paintings. Similarly, decorative gilding goes hand-in-hand with early Italian artworks. Halos of saints, fabrics, and even entire backgrounds can all be depicted in gold. A range of gilding techniques could be employed, depending on the visual effect the artist wanted to achieve.

Virgin and Child by Niccola di Pietro Gerini – Fitzwilliam Museum
Virgin and Child by Niccola di Pietro Gerini – Fitzwilliam Museum

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Examination of an ancient Egyptian inlaid eye

For more stories from other conservation departments at the Fitzwilliam Museum, visit the Conservation and Collections Care blog!

This post was written last year by Alexandra Zappa, a former objects conservation intern in the Department of Antiquities. Alex graduated from UCL with an MSc in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums in 2012 and is currently working as a conservator in the United States.

One of the projects I was involved with since the beginning of my internship is the technical examination of a group of Ancient Egyptian inlaid eyes. The Ancient Egyptians used inlaid eyes in a variety of objects including statues, coffin masks, anthropoid coffins, in rectangular coffins and inlaid into the eyes of mummies.

Alex Zappa examining an inlaid ancient Egyptian eye under the microscope
Alex Zappa examining an inlaid ancient Egyptian eye under the microscope

Continue reading “Examination of an ancient Egyptian inlaid eye”

Reconstructing a 15th-century panel painting

Pia and I are currently first-year students at the Hamilton Kerr Institute (HKI). During the three-year training program, we will receive theoretical and practical instruction in the conservation treatments of easel paintings. We work in the studio alongside two third-year students, six interns, and staff members.The best way to learn about the materials and techniques used by past artists is to make reconstructions of paintings. Any visitor only needs to look at the walls of the HKI office to realize how big a role reconstructions play in the work of the Institute. They are covered with copies of paintings – from 15th-century Italian to Impressionist! Many of them are extensive research projects completed by previous third-year students and interns. Practical research can provide unique insights into the working practices of different artists. Some answers can only be obtained by getting your hands dirty!

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Reconstructions hanging in the Hamilton Kerr Institute

Continue reading “Reconstructing a 15th-century panel painting”