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Five clay poultices used in built heritage, stone, and wall painting conservation were examined for their potential to extract impurities from medieval lime-rich wall painting plaster. Since the most efficient extraction is achieved by capillary advection, this evaluation compared the pore size distribution of the clay poultices with that of medieval plaster. The pore size distribution was measured using the pressure plate method, a method with a long history of use in soil and building science. The present study demonstrates for the first time a successful application of this method in the evaluation of clay poultices for conservation. In addition, the retentive capacities of the five poultices were examined by measuring lateral migration and penetration depths as a function of time, using customised plaster samples and a blue dye to facilitate migration measurements. Of the five poultices, bentonite showed the least promising pore size range and was estimated to have little or no effect as a drying poultice for medieval wall painting plaster. The remaining four poultices showed promising results, although with various shortcomings that might influence the results of the intervention, as the best fit is dependent on the aim of the poulticing. For a cleaning poultice, where dirt is to be extracted solely from the surface of the plaster, attapulgite and PANGEL® S1500 seemed to be best suited due to their high retention. The pore size distribution and migration pattern of PANGEL® S9 and sepiolite indicated that they could be suitable as poultices for desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead white (basic lead carbonate), before its effective ban in much of Europe from 1989 onwards, was among the most versatile and widespread but also one of the most harmful pigments available. This paper is a critical discussion of the regulation of lead white paint and its consequences from the point of view of conservation and artistic practice in Europe. It looks at who benefited from exemptions to bans, and whether there was resistance to them. Buildings and artworks are both taken into account. The paper discusses nuances in regulation in four European countries which have notable differences in approach (France, Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom). The centralised regulatory framework of the United Kingdom allows data analysis on the authorised use of the paint since its restriction up to the present day. This dataset shows a steady decrease in the use of the paint by conservators across disciplines. The paper concludes by considering the professional and ethical implications of lead white paint for artists and conservators, in the context of varied regulation and a decline in use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studies in Conservation is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ancient Chinese murals have a splendid history in ancient times, experiencing thousands of years and countless dynasties. There have been artistic classics such as Dunhuang murals that are still applauded, and the murals of Goguryeo in Ji'an are also impressive. Through systematically combing and analyzing the lotus pattern in the Goguryeo murals in Ji'an, this paper reveals the artistic expression, style changes, and cultural factors behind the lotus pattern in different historical periods. It is found that the lotus pattern in the Goguryeo period not only showed an evolution trend from simplicity to complexity and from realism to abstraction in form but also reflected the profound transformation from nature worship to Buddhist belief to royal power symbolism in meaning. However, due to the age of the murals and the interference of natural climate and artificial damage, most of the murals have been damaged, falling off, cracks, and other pathological problems, which need to be protected urgently. Therefore, the combination of mural restoration and computer technology, the use of digital technology, vision and pattern recognition technology, the restoration of mural images for automated pattern recognition and analysis of mural paintings to assist in virtual restoration, not only for artificial restoration to provide an important and practical significance of the value of the reference, but also after the restoration of the mural paintings for the digitization of longterm preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article traces the foundation and development of the Department of Conservation and Technology at the Courtauld Institute of Art from its inception as a Technology Department in 1934 to 2020, when the Department merged with Wall Paintings Conservation into a single Conservation Department. The first section describes the development of research and teaching, the interests of the Department's staff, and collaborations within and outside the Institute, and the financial and technical developments that influenced these changes. The second section discusses the later years, highlighting interdisciplinary research by staff and students with national and international partners and the challenges in the delivery of graduate education in conservation that is practical, technically informed, and interdisciplinary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of wall painting conservation, condition monitoring plays a key role in assessing the stability of a painting by determining if detrimental change is occurring over time. Condition monitoring typically involves a visual comparison between the painting and a previously captured photograph or image and relies on the ability of a conservator to observe visible change. In practice, the monitoring of wall paintings can be challenging given the potential range of condition phenomena, complexity of material composition, uneven surface topography and issues of scale, access, and lighting. Using two-dimensional images alone to detect change, across large surface areas and in depth, is often insufficient and can result in misleading or incomplete assessments of condition. To improve the detection of change in wall paintings, the Getty Conservation Institute initiated research between conservators and heritage recording specialists to update and validate a photogrammetric condition monitoring workflow that can identify three-dimensional change using readily available and cost-effective equipment. This paper describes the workflow and the experimental trials conducted to characterize its precision and accuracy. The results of this initial research demonstrate that an affordable, photogrammetric workflow can reliably detect and quantify sub-millimeter change in wall paintings, improving current condition monitoring practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with the 1964 Venice Charter, the preservation of wall paintings by detaching and mounting techniques is the last resort when all other means of protection prove to be ineffective. This method is a highly sophisticated method that is now rarely practiced. The technique has been used in India successfully to salvage many decorative schemes such as Rang Mahal at Chamba, Rupi Palace at Kulu, separation for the two-layered paintings of Thanjavur, the Buddhist rock-cut shrine at Bagh, and the Sinon and Phugtal monasteries in Sikkim and Ladakh by specific teams of specialized Indian conservators. Few of these extremely delicate techniques are included in the present knowledge systems of conservation. This paper presents the circumstances wherein the techniques of removal of wall paintings are applied, and the methodology followed in India. The knowledge and practical experiences in the transfer of historic decorative schemes during instances of natural calamities require the allocation of a specialized team of art conservators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selectively cleaned oil painting, Cupid asleep in a garland of flowers, circle of Mario di Fiori (1603–73, GV43) was installed alongside a series of photographic works by artist Sophy Rickett. Cupid and the Curious Moaning of Kenfig Burrows was an exhibition at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, UK, that featured this partial restoration undertaken as a conservation-intervention following discussions between the artist and painting conservator Jenny Williamson. Rickett and Williamson wish to explore this conservation-intervention as a methodologically oriented dialogue that mirrors, reflects and represents the similarities as well as some of the tensions, between the distinct, but related, fields of fine art practice and conservation. In conceptualising and then carrying out this conservation-intervention, a new artwork has been created. They envisage this methodological approach as a strategy encompassing principles and ethics that is replicable in other contexts and at other institutions. Through this conservation-intervention, the authors consider the role of the artist's original intention, truth, meaning, aesthetics and ethics in the field of conservation, and explore how subjective, affective processes are a part of more objective, finite, scientific ones. This version of Cupid, in his fragile, temporary, incomplete state highlights the subjectivity, contingency and to an extent, arbitrariness that is a feature of much conservation practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thread-by-thread tear mending technique for canvas paintings represents an important field of research for the preservation of canvas paintings. This joining technology has been published and has become well established as a minimal invasive alternative for the treatment of local damage in the canvas, in contrast to the application of patches or the lining of paintings. Since then the technique has been further investigated, especially with regard to adhesive evaluation. For the first time, this paper presents the examination of five different test set-ups for the adhesive evaluation in an overall context: 1. uniaxial tensile tests on free adhesive films, 2. on mended yarns, 3. on fabric strips, 4. biaxial tensile tests, and 5. multiaxial burst pressure tests. The bonding was carried out on flax threads and canvas samples. For this purpose, single thread bonds were prepared within the specimens with a selection of different synthetic polymer dispersions and sturgeon glue modifications. Different bonding techniques were investigated, such as overlapping or butt joint mending, with and without bridging threads. The aim of the investigation was to understand the individual influencing factors in the various test series. Furthermore, the focus was on the development of a suitable test system for the evaluation of adhesives for the thread-by-thread tear mending treatment in textile painting supports. It can be stated that only the testing of several bonded threads in a fabric composite should be pursued as a long-term sensible test arrangement. This is in contrast to the previously very common set-up of testing mended single threads. Promising adhesives and adhesive modifications have been found for butt joints and overlap joints. The additional strengthening effect of bridging threads on butt joints has been proven and quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes attempts to replicate medieval plaster using hot-mixing, where quicklime, aggregate, and water are combined in a single exothermic process. The experimental study aimed to reproduce the structural characteristics of medieval plaster while making sample materials for conservation trials, rendering them more relevant and comparable with the medieval materials on which treatments take place. For wall painting conservation, similar capillarity and permeability are particularly important for trials focusing on consolidation, desalination, and cleaning. These characteristics are greatly influenced by the materials, working protocol, and curing conditions used in the replication process. Replicated plaster and plaster sampled from Gothic wall paintings were analysed to provide data regarding porosity, type of lime, aggregates, and binder/aggregate ratio using thin-section analyses, X-ray diffraction, porosity measurements, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The comparative study showed a close match between one of the two recreated mortars and the original plaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last 20 years strong permanent magnets have frequently been used in the field of conservation and preservation of works of art. Such magnets provide temporary mechanical pressure, making them a convenient way to frame and/or present a piece for exhibition. This is a benefit because in these magnets high magnetic energy is stored in a small mass. Literature dedicated to this topic focuses on the undeniable advantages of this method, but it does not mention the potential consequences it may have on artworks. This technical note raises awareness for art conservators, private collectors, and museums that many pigments contain magnetically active particles. Five pigments based on iron and cobalt were selected and examined and the relative magnetic permeabilities determined. This makes it possible to calculate the mechanical forces caused by magnetic stationary or alternating fields for a wide range of products with these pigments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the study and conservation of the gods painted on the doors of traditional temples in Taiwan. These paintings are continually exposed to poor environmental conditions (especially sunlight, rain, and pollution) and human factors, such as continuous ritual activities. After reviewing the technical characteristics of these paintings and their origins, traditional views and contemporary practices followed in the restoration of temples are explored. Since preventive conservation is a key issue in the preservation of cultural heritage, some solutions that have already been carried out, as well as suggestions for others that could be put into practice in order to improve the situation and extend the life expectancy of these paintings, are considered. Finally, while it is inevitable to try to preserve some of the most outstanding pieces, the possibility of considering these works as ephemeral is contemplated. This may seem contradictory, but it is, in fact, a relatively common situation when addressing the conservation of religious heritage in use. Undoubtedly, the preservation of this heritage still raises many questions and exposes a number of contradictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cathedral of Saint Lawrence in Lugano, Switzerland is an important religious and historical site that contains both immovable and moveable works of art. Although the structure itself has changed, it retains many important wall paintings. In 1910, the cathedral underwent comprehensive restoration under the direction of Augusto Guidini and the painter Ernesto Rusca, including executing new paintings on undecorated surfaces, adding decorative features such as frames to some existing paintings, and retouching and filling losses to create a harmonious and coherent scheme in which all phases remained legible. By 2000, conservation issues were evident for all painted surfaces, including efflorescence, flaking paint and losses. From 2009 to 2017 another restoration project was carried out. The conservation of the wall paintings proved to be a complex process and two main aspects were important in informing decisions regarding methodology and treatments: the effects of moisture and climate, and the role of the unifying decorative scheme from the Guidini/Rusca intervention. The success of the recent project rested on prioritising the conservation needs of the paintings, considering the changes necessary to satisfy the religious and public function of the building, and wrestling with the historical, ethical, and material issues connected with the earlier intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wall paintings are physically indivisible from the built heritage, which makes their conservation difficult. Conservation measures focus on stabilising paintings and slowing deterioration, while preserving significance and authenticity. Achieving these aims is complicated. The altered states in which paintings usually survive – due to events, exposure, neglect, misguided restorations, and other causes – do not always require stabilisation efforts, but their authenticity and significance may be severely undermined. At the same time, interventions to re-establish these values may expose paintings to physical risk. Balancing these dilemmas in practice requires constant evaluation of risks, objectives and outcomes. Conservation cannot be concerned with the attainment of conspicuous visual results while deterioration issues remain unaddressed. Neither can problems that impair the historic integrity and meaning of wall paintings be ignored. For over 30 years, the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, UK, has played a central role in educating conservators to meet the challenges of the discipline, through a well-established curriculum and a wide range of international projects in the field. From this perspective, this paper examines current challenges in wall painting conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

England's East Anglian region has c.550 late-medieval screens still in their original churches, one of Northern Europe's most significant in situ collections of medieval panel painting. The churches are managed by non-specialist volunteers and are not museums. In many, congregations are shrinking and long-term sustainability will involve varying uses of the building. The buildings and their collections are at risk from, among other factors, weather, groundwater, fire, heat, moisture, light, pollutants and pests, as well as vandalism and theft. The same threats affect screens, causing flaking paint, microbiological growth, insect damage and photodegradation. A collaborative programme was forged between the Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge, specialists in medieval panel painting conservation, and Tobit Curteis Associates, specialists in environmental deterioration in historic buildings, supported by the Church of England's Cathedral and Church Buildings Division. This project aimed to bridge the gap between the conservation of sensitive artefacts and the conservation of the buildings in which they are situated. A methodology, utilising materials analysis, environmental monitoring and building and object surveys, was devised for the assessment of the deterioration of screens and their churches to produce holistic recommendations. Through a pilot study, solutions that are passive, cost effective, innovative and sustainable are being implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rare example of nineteenth-century Rococo-style interior decorations was recently uncovered in the National Military Museum of Cairo, Egypt. Samples of the decorations were analysed using different analytical techniques. The sequence of the paint layers was examined with a digital USB optical microscope. Microstructural examination and microanalysis of the samples were conducted using an environmental scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis spectroscopy (ESEM–EDX). The molecular structure of the samples was analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) was applied to identify the mineralogical composition of plaster samples. The results allowed the characterisation of two underlying layers based mainly on two phases of calcium sulphate. Pigment materials of vermilion, red lead, red ochre, hydrocerussite, carbon black and green earth were identified. Several chromatic hues were produced by different proportions of mixed pigments. Additionally, chromatic alterations in the red layer were reported and discussed. Based on the results of the analyses, a multi-step restoration was carried out. The intervention procedures were cleaning, application of injection grouts, removal of old mortars, reconstruction of missing components of the composition and retouching. Finally, a superficial protection layer was applied to the decorations to prevent any future damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Slovo (05836255) is the property of Slovo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mechanical factors that affect oil paintings like scratching, shaking, percussion, tapping behind the Canvas easel will affect the oil painting layers including painting layer, On the other hand, the materials used in lining oil paintings such as glue, wax or synthetic resins do not prevent or reduce the resulting deterioration caused by previous factors, so there was a necessity for searching for a substance that reduces the previous deterioration sorts. In this study, the experimental research goal is shown to compare this material with the materials used in lining. Samples of linen and cotton fabric were made, lining them with four adhesive materials, the work of industrial obsolescence, measuring the resistance of these samples to the tensile strength and elongation and strength of puncture and flexion. The processes were monitored by Electron microscope scanner used before and after the industrial limitation and image. The results showed that polyurethane, which was compared with the rest of the other lining materials, is more resistant to the mechanical forces that affect the oil paintings. The case study was done on ancient oil paintings, from a collection of the Mohammed Ali Museum in Egypt. It is an antique painting dating back to 1898, where the experimental results were applied and can be lined with a new material (polyurethane). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of our current investigation is the colorimetric evaluation of protective treatments (consolidants) applied to traditional Islamic plasterworks, under natural ageing conditions. From analyses of the original pictorial plaster remains in the Courtyard of the Maidens of the Real Alcázar in Seville, Spain (a World Heritage Site) we prepared test specimens, using materials and techniques similar to the original ones. We analysed 56 test specimens painted with four pigments (yellow, green, blue, and red), using two different binders (animal glue and gum arabic), onto which five representative consolidants were applied: barium hydroxide, acrylic copolymer, polyvinyl butyral, ethyl silicate, and bacterial carbonatogenesis. The test specimens were subjected to natural ageing for one year (indoors and outdoors), enabling a colorimetric assessment to be made of the changes of the polychrome surfaces. The colorimetric heterogeneity of the 56 specimens after ageing registered an average value of 2.7 CIELAB units, assessed using the mean colour difference with respect to the mean. In the aged specimens, the addition of consolidants resulted in average colour differences (mainly lightness differences) of 10.7 and 6.7 CIELAB units, considering as a reference the specimens without consolidants aged indoors and outdoors, respectively. These colour differences were very similar for both binders but not for the four pigments, higher values being found for the blue and red pigments. Considering as reference the samples without consolidants aged outdoors, we found no statistically significant colour differences, either among the five consolidants (p = .094) nor the two binders (p = .674) used. In addition to the magnitude of colour differences, the choice of the most appropriate consolidants must also consider aspects related to performance and effectiveness. Overall, for the type of paints tested, the polyvinyl butyral consolidant appeared to perform the best, followed by the ethyl silicate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the court case R(Simonis) v Arts Council England, which deals on the regulation for the export of Madonna con Bambino painting. Topics mentioned include the application of art collector Kathleen Simonis to export the painting from Great Britain to Switzerland, the cleaning and restoration of the painting, and the regulation for cultural properties in terms of export licence.

Like many museums and galleries following a prolonged period of austerity, the National Gallery has increased its public, private and corporate activities on an unprecedented scale and embarked on an extensive building programme to develop the site and its heritage-listed building. Together with an expanding loans and exhibitions programme, institutional attention has been drawn towards using the collection and building in ways not done before, both to attract new audiences and to develop new income sources. However, such new and escalating activities have the potential to expose the collection to risks not previously considered and are increasing cumulative exposure to certain environmental factors. A new group, the Preventive Conservation Working Group (PCWG), working at an operational level, has recently been established as a forum for discourse, collaboration and innovation at this time of transformation, and its activities and areas of current focus are presented. The role of this group in safeguarding the collection while helping the institution to respond to the expectations of modern life and the contemporary audience are discussed, as well as some of the other positive benefits resulting from the group's formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the conservation of a wall painting in the world heritage site Huang-jing Tang temple in China. It discusses how this temple for Taoist priests was restored in the Qing Dynasty and Republic of China, how the painting is getting damaged due to the moist climate of Wudang Mountains, how its deterioration process can be traced with the help of building information modelling (BIM) technology. It also talks about the categories of degradation including detachment of ground layer, voids in the render and abrasion.

The origin(s) and role(s) of metal soaps in paints are a worldwide concern today. These hybrid compounds, containing both fatty acid chains and metals associated with a carboxylate function, are increasingly identified in paints. As reviewed in the first part of this work, the presence of metal soaps in paints is differently interpreted in scientific publications: metal soaps are sometimes considered to play a positive role as anchor points, during paint drying processes; they can also be considered as responsible for many degradation processes (protrusions, efflorescences, darkening, etc.). Their origins are also interpreted in various ways. In some paintings (in particular from the twentieth century), they have sometimes introduced on purpose, as additives, to modify the physical properties of the painting materials. In older paintings, metal soaps are usually thought to result from an uncontrolled reaction of oil with lead-based pigments, in particular lead white, red lead, and lead tin yellow. In the second part of this work, the review of historical recipes of lead-based paint shows an important number of recipes based on controlled mixing of oil with lead driers. In the third part, the experimental reproduction of such traditional recipes using walnut oil and litharge (PbO) shows that lead soaps can be formed, both in about one hour at ∼100°C, or in about one month at room temperature. It shows as well that after a few years, litharge is no longer detected in the paint medium, while different lead carbonates are. Finally, the micro-infrared spectroscopy and micro-X-ray diffraction re-analysis of protrusions from a nine-year model painting shows together with lead soaps, the presence of Pb5(CO3)3(OH)2O (‘synthetic plumbonacrite’), an unusual phase recently observed in a protrusion from a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. This work highlights (i) the multiple origins and roles of metal soaps in paints and (ii) the importance of combining the analysis of fragments from historical paintings with the analysis and reproduction of historical recipes. In particular, we show that the components detected today in historical paintings may severely differ from those originally used or prepared by the painter, complicating the assessment of the painter's intentions. More than the presence of metal soaps, the key questions to be tackled should be about their origins and (re)mobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The raw canvas paintings of Morris Louis and similar color field works, with their extreme vulnerability to staining and structural damage, present a challenge for safe and successful treatment design, often testing the bounds of our abilities as conservators and stimulating expansion of treatment methodologies. The ability to draw from specialized textile and painting conservation techniques, and to understand their long-term implications and impact on aesthetic perception, is essential for the conservator of these modern paintings. A large Morris Louis,Untitled (Floral), held as a non-accessioned work at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, provided an ideal example to explore the intersection of minimally interventive treatments with the need for aesthetic perfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is quickly becoming a critical tool in the field of art conservation. This technique provides high-resolution spatial maps of both inorganic and organic components located within cross-sectional samples collected from works of art. With recent advances in surface analysis, ToF-SIMS can now be used to identify specific amino acids present in protein-containing materials as well as fatty acids in drying oils. For example, the detection of the ion fragment associated with the amino acid hydroxyproline can be used to confirm the use of animal glue in a paint sample. As an analytical technique, ToF-SIMS avoids the need for derivatization/silylation reagents, with no interference by the presence of pigments. Furthermore, the layered systems that are often encountered in historical paint samples remain intact throughout the analytical procedure. This allows for the co-localization of organic and inorganic species in specific layers (e.g. egg yolk paint atop a glue ground). Because of this ability to localize the analytical signal to approximately 6 µm or less, the mass spectral information can be used to produce mass-resolved and spatially-resolve images which can be correlated to previous studies of the same samples. In this study, ToF-SIMS was used to analyze a paint cross section obtained from a painting attributed to Raphael, and another from a painting by the Sienese artist Matteo di Giovanni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monitoring of performance characteristics of resins was always an issue for the conservation community, since the stability of the art objects depends on the service life of conservation materials used. Among the resins commonly applied in the field of paintings conservation, four of the most popular ones, Paraloid B72, Primal AC33 (acrylic polymers), Ketone Resin N (cyclohexanone) and Laropal A81 (ureaaldehyde) were selected to be comparatively studied under accelerated ageing conditions. These resins have been used by the art conservators either as consolidant materials of the paint or as protecting varnishes for the painting surface. The behaviour of the coatings under thermal ageing was investigated following a methodology depositing films of all materials onto different solid substrates (silicon wafers, quartz and simple glass slides) depending on the method of analysis used. Accelerated thermal ageing tests were conducted at 100 °C, for up to 432 hours. The morphological characteristics of the resins films (crack formations and surface alterations, coherence of film layers, thickness and surface roughness) were examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chemical changes of the resins were studied with FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopy, while colour properties and thermal-chemical stability were also studied with spectrocolorimetry. It was found that, although all four displayed changes concerning their colour and film thickness, the two acrylic polymers and the aldehyde resin exhibit high stability against chemical degradation compared to the cyclohexanone based resin. Complementary solubility and swelling testing were also applied and significantly aided in supporting the spectroscopy observations. Finally, microscopic examination of most resin films revealed cracking features which may sometimes render them unsuitable for application under uncontrollable conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the investigation for the detection of the soiling of wall paintings of Giambattista Tiepolo stored in the Diocesan museum located in Udine, Italy. Topics discussed include the analysis of the particle number (PN) concentrations in the Galleria degli ospiti in the Archbishop Palace housing the Diocesan museum, the monitoring campaign conducted in the gallery of the Archbishop's Palace, and the assessment and the measurement of the soiling rate of various surfaces in the gallery.

We surveyed the canvas of 31 paintings from the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, using non-destructive near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) in order to determine the pH and degree of polymerisation (DP) of the canvas supports. The data showed that the canvases, all from 1890 to 1910, are acidic (average pH 5.1 ± 0.4) and fairly degraded (DP 710 ± 260). Using the dose-response function for cellulosic materials with pH, DP, T, and relative humidity (RH) as inputs, the rate of degradation can be calculated, as well as the period of time until the point when the canvases become so fragile that their handling could lead to mechanical damage and thus risk the integrity of paint layers. On the basis of the survey data, we calculated isochrone plots as well as demographic curves for the collection. Using these, we explored a number of conservation management scenarios and compared them with the expected rate of degradation under current average environmental conditions (21 °C, 58% RH). At these conditions, it is predicted that the average canvas will become fragile and might require interventive treatment in ca. 140 years. However, if the storage temperature is decreased, or if the canvases are deacidified, the period of time until treatment becomes necessary can be considerably increased. As a separate case study we also present a survey of the canvas of The Woman in Hat and Fur Collar (Marie-Thérèse Walter) by Pablo Picasso. The pH and DP of this canvas was determined in 15 sampling points, the averages being pH 5.6 ± 0.2 and DP 1700 ± 320, which allowed us to calculate the isochrone plot for this canvas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, laser ablation has been applied for removing overpaint found on the reverse of a signed easel painting by Giacomo Balla, one of the founding members of the Futurist movement. After unsuccessful attempts to remove the overpaint layers selectively using organic solvents, a long Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm, 120 ns) ablation was successfully trialled, enabling the planning of complete uncovering of a hidden artwork by laser treatment. Laser cleaning was accompanied with a thorough characterisation of the original pigments, binders, and overpaint using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, along with stratigraphic examination combined with optical and ESEM-EDX analysis. In parallel systematic experimentation on samples simulating the layers to be removed was carried out to interpret the laser removal processes being exploited and fine-tune the treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross sections are frequently used in the stratigraphic study of pictorial structures. Thanks to cross sections, it is possible to study and record original and non-original strata that may provide important information regarding the artist's technique and later restoration processes. This information helps conservators design different strategies in processes such as cleaning. However, it is often in cleaning where the advantages and limitations of cross sections become obvious. When dealing with a complex structure, cross sections may not be enough to record in a comprehensive and accurate manner all the strata removed during cleaning. In some cases, the conservator may obtain during cleaning a great amount of stratigraphic information that is not visible in the cross sections. Therefore, it may be necessary to resort to other recording systems, such as the stratigraphic unit recording sheet and the stratigraphic diagram, which are frequently used in archaeological stratigraphy. This article demonstrates how cross-section analysis was combined with stratigraphic study during the cleaning of two panel paintings to gain an improved understanding of their complicated layer structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on how to prevent the microfading of watercolor paintings of the artist Carl Larsson at the Gothenburg Museum of Art in Sweden. It discusses how conservation scientists are studying on identifying the materials causing the microfading with Swedish National Heritage Board through micro-X-ray fluorescence, micro-Raman spectroscopy and microfading instrument, the analysis of sensitive areas like red and blue. It also talks about the museum's efforts to research on best lighting policy to minimizing damage.

The article focuses on the need of nanocellulose materials for conservation of modern easel paintings. It discusses the requirement of alternative approach with properties like reversibility, stability and compatibility rather than using materials like vinyl and acrylic-based resins and how nanocellulose has tunability for reinforcement. It also atlks about the use of nanofibrillated (CNF) and nanocrystalline cellulose (CNC) particles, the inspection of surface topography for conserving fabric topology.

The article discusses research into Chinese export paintings. Topics include details on the effect of research into export paintings on knowledge of economic and cultural exchange between Great Britain and China in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, details on the export paintings featured at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England, details on the use of imaging science and technology to conduct scientific examinations of the artwork, details on the use of a microfading spectrometer to monitor the paintings, and details on the use of multispectral imaging.

The article discusses the collaboration between the non-profit arts foundation Asiarta Foundation and visual arts conservation organization Getty Conservation Institute for a research project to study Vietnamese lacquer paintings. Topics include the study of lacquer paintings from the Witness Collection of modern Vietnamese art, details on the Vietnamese practice of obtaining lacquer from the sap of Toxicodendron succedaneum trees, details on the materials present in lacquer paintings, and details on the research's effect on treatment approaches of Vietnamese paintings.

The article discusses the practice of conserving silk borders of paintings from China, Japan, Korea, and the Himalayas. Topics include details on paintings' silks and mounting styles and their insight into artworks' meaning and history, details on processes of how to replace silk borders and remount, details on cultures' different border and mounting styles, details on Bhutanese Buddhist monks' art conservation training, details on Japanese Buddhist silk mountings, and the effect of decorative mountings on how a painting is preserved.

The article discusses the role of paper lining in conservation and mounting of East Asian paintings. Topics include details on the weak materials of paper and silk and their use in paintings, details on the various available methods of paper lining, the role of paper lining in providing support to a painting by reinforcing its silk or paper substrate, details on the different papers used in lining techniques, details on the different adhesives used in lining such as wheat starch paste, and details on Chinese style lining.

The article discusses the role of silk in traditional Asian paintings and a study on the effect of light exposure in museums on silk. Topics include details on the structure of paint silk, details on silk's role in undergoing the process called Agyo-po-su before being applied to a painting, details on the process of conversation of dyed silk, details on researchers comparison of hand-woven silk to historical silk, mention of the use of japonica fruits to dye silk, and details on the use of silk dye to conserve paintings.

The article looks at the conservation work done on three items of Chinese export art, paintings on pith paper. It describes the deterioration the works had suffered caused by the glue used to adhere them to a backing as well as by age and likely less-than-optimal care in storage. It outlines the work done on them, including the use of trypsin in agarose to remove animal glue and of the emulsifier Abil EM120 and cyclomethicone to reduce glue and dirt stains. Problems in the use of water-based treatments on pith paper are discussed.

From 1733 to 1736, the Italian connoisseur Pietro Maria Guarienti (1678-1753) lived in Lis - bon and worked as an art expert and restorer of paintings. These roles allowed him to establish contact with numerous art collectors in the city. When he published his personal edition of Pellegrino Antonio Orlandi's Abecedario Pittorico (1753), he mentioned these personalities, not only presenting a long list of names, but also offering specific details regarding the paintings they owned. Guarienti's contribution is particularly valuable for the study of art collecting in Lisbon during the first half of eighteenth century, a subject only partially explored. After reviewing Pietro Guarienti biographical profile, the article explores the structuring of the Abecedario's entries and, finally, focuses on the collection of paintings that belonged to Diogo de Nápoles Noronha e Veiga (?-1769), offering useful insights into the tastes and preferences of Portuguese eighteenth-century art collectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing of poly(vinyl acetate), PVAc, paints was assessed in works by Ângelo de Sousa and Joaquim Rodrigo. The materials and techniques of the artists were studied through interviews and by chemical analysis. They were both using PVAc in 1961 preparing their own paints by mixing commercial PVAc emulsions with selected colorants. It is shown that in most cases the emulsion employed was based on a PVAc homopolymer and that the paints are in good condition with no signs of deterioration. Finally, this study allowed a comparison to be made between paint samples aged naturally and those aged under artificial conditions. This means that these artificially aged samples may be used as reference materials for PVAc paintings. Both sets exhibit molecular infrared fingerprints that are undistinguishable from an unaged PVAc, suggesting little chemical degradation over 50 years of natural ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Descente des vaches (1836) by Theodore Rousseau in the Mesdag Collection in The Hague is barely readable and its paint layers are in poor condition. The surface of the painting is strongly deformed and cracked, the whole painting has darkened and especially the greens have lost all or most of their colour resulting in brown passages. Large passages of the painting that were painted with multiple thick and medium-rich layers have darkened dramatically. This paper proposes that the degradation of Emerald green (Cu(C2H3O2)2·3Cu(AsO2)2, copperacetoarsenite) – the main green pigment used in this painting – is a significant factor in the cause of the darkening. Electron backscatter images reveal that the Emerald green particles are shown different degrees of degradation: from partially to completely disintegrated. Elemental maps show that arsenic is distributed throughout the paint cross section, with relatively higher concentrations around iron- and aluminium-containing particles, and in the varnish layer. Imaging-Fourier-transform infrared microscopy detects copper soaps in the degraded Emerald green-containing layers. Analytical data from four paint cross sections strongly suggest that Emerald green reacts with free fatty acids derived from the binding medium forming copper soaps and mobile arsenic-based species. Chemical laboratory experiments fully support this hypothesis. Emerald green and palmitic acid in chloroform form copper palmitate and arsenic trioxide (arsenolite, cubic) under room temperature and normal light conditions. The degradation of Emerald green particles in Descente des vaches has resulted in a loss of light-reflecting surfaces and in newly formed compounds in the paint, both contribute to the colour change from green to brown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The church of Agios Herakleidios, in the monastery of Agios Ioannis Lampadistis, a World Heritage site in the Troodos Mountains, preserves one of Cyprus's very few thirteenth-century wall painting schemes. Stylistically and technically, these paintings are distinct both from earlier, well-known twelfth-century painting schemes as well as from abundant later Cypriot painting. During the recently completed conservation programme, one of the most surprising outcomes of the related technical investigations was the identification of two types of tin foil applications, which had not been previously recorded: flat foil and cast raised work. As these are exceedingly rare in Cypriot painting, and as there are controversies surrounding the dating and origin of this technology, the findings are of particular interest. Indeed, they provide further evidence for the theory that the transmission of these technologies was from west to east, not east to west, as has often been stated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Trust owns and opens to the public historic houses containing an enormous quantity and range of decorative arts. Conserving these features in ways that enhance visitors' enjoyment through their experience of the conservation work is now as important an objective of conservation in the National Trust as improving these features' state of conservation. This paper takes as an example the conservation of the early eighteenth-century Baroque wall paintings decorating the staircase of Hanbury Hall (Worcestershire, UK) which presented considerable challenges not only in conservation but also in enabling the visiting public to experience the work. Evaluation of visitors' response is presented and discussed in the context of evaluations of other 'conservation in action' projects across the National Trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ermlitz manor house near Leipzig includes an enfilade of five parlours, decorated in the 1770s with 310 m2 painted, textile wall hangings. The outcomes of the first three years of a long-term conservation project led by the Conservation Department of the Academy of Fine Arts Dresden are reported. The pilot phase ended in 2011 with the remounting of the treated wall hangings of the Red Parlour. Solutions developed for mechanical surface cleaning, the consolidation of the highly water-sensitive paint layers and the mordant gildings, the conservation of the canvases (thread-by-thread tear mending, inserts, and local supporting with BEVA-coated polyester gauze), and the remounting of the wall hangings with a newly-developed mounting-system based on neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets and hook-and-loop fastener are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper establishes that the two-dimensional Fourier transform, spectral-maximum-based extraction of thread density appears suited to automatic thread counting from scanned X-radiographs of paintings for a range of European painters from the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century. With regularly woven canvas, striping occurring in color-coded maps of local thread count can be used to identify rollmate candidates originally separated by as much as a few meters, maybe more. These results suggest that recently developed spectral-maximum-based thread counting algorithms are sufficiently sophisticated to support major efforts in archival thread counting as key forensic data in a variety of art historical investigations. Still, the canvas and priming used by some artists require a more refined approach to automated thread counting than a simple spectral-maximum-based scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]