As we enter the last quarter of 2016, we wanted to showcase our favourite and most interesting case studies that we’ve posted on our popular LinkedIn page. From the top 5 we have selected, you can expect challenges faced on previously treated paintings, the trials of a student conservator and insight into one of the world’s biggest conservation labs. If you would like to share your conservation project with us, tag us on Twitter with a link!
1. MFA Conservator Carefully Cleans Up a Van Gogh Painting
Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Why: This short video explores the challenges of conserving one of Vincent Van Gogh’s most popular paintings, “House at Auvers” because of how the painting has already been treated more than once. This is particularly interesting as we normally see case studies on paintings/objects that are being conserved for the first time. View Case Study Here.
2. Treating Water Damage in a 17th Century Atlas
Where: West Dean Why: We’re big fans of the student blogs at West Dean and this blog is a great example of why. Things may not go to plan, tools are creatively improvised and the results may not be as planned, but it’s the learning curve we see the student’s go through and the array of objects they treat that make the West Dean blog a must-read for us. View Case Study Here.
3. Conservation of the Roman Period Mummy Mask
Where: The Penn Museum Why: The Egyptian period continues to provide a huge source of fascination for many which is why we keep coming back to the Artifact Lab’s regularly updated blog. This time we can see the journey of a Roman Period Mummy Mask from Multispectral Imaging to hands on treatment and back to safe storage. View Case Study Here.
4. Behind the Scenes of the The Costume Institute’s conservation laboratory
Where: The Costume Institute’s conservation laboratory Why: Not so much a specific case study but a fascinating article all the same providing intriguing insight into the The Costume Institute’s conservation laboratory in the basement of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. From learning about the single silk threads used on super fragile garments (silkworms spin two strands) to new innovations in storage and the ongoing research into the conservation of plastics as contemporary designers use synthetic materials more and more making this a must-read for anyone interested in fashion and of course conservation. View Article Here.
5. Structural Conservation: A complex tear on a mid-19th Century Oil on Canvas
Where: The Bowes Museum Why: We haven’t seen many case studies tackling the repair of structural damage on a painting, making this a very interesting project to learn about, especially as the conservator tackles two different torn paintings with two very different approaches. This case study also highlights the importance of rectifying temporary repairs to ensure no further damage occurs. View Case Study Here.
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