Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is the conservator an artist?
2. Does conservation mean repair of the work of art?
3. If a piece of paint is missing from a painting, does the conservator repaints it?
4. Is a conservator capable of establishing a forgery?
5. Why should I conserve my paintings or my old books?
6. How can someone become a conservator?
1. Is the conservator an artist?
No. The primary aim of the conservation of a work of art is the safeguarding of its authenticity. The conservator acts according to a methodology that begins with the comprehension of the object, the precise determination of its pathology and ends with the planning of a program for the energetic and passive confrontation of the existing problems.Energetic
Interventions that aim upon the arrest of the deterioration of the object, the restoration of the damaged areas and the protection of the object against future alteration of its properties.
Passive
The exposure of the work of art must be made in a manner that protects it against corruptive agents. That includes the application of proper illumination, the elimination of air pollutants, the regulation of temperature and relative humidity, and the control of noise. Furthermore, a rather critical goal is the protection of the object against human factor, its spectators, who can easily become harmful, even unintentionally.
The conservator can never operate on the object in a creative way, for instance by trying to fill in areas of missing paint according to the artist's style, because this will make the spectator unable to tell apart the original parts from the new ones.
The conservator is not an artist. His job is to restore the work of art and not to forge it.
2. Does conservation mean repair of the work of art?
No. The purpose of the conservation treatment is the presentation of the work of art in a way which brings out its authentic properties. The enhancement of the readability of the work of art is essential. The authentic parts must excel from the posterior ones; the old must excel from the new.
The repair of ruined parts by means of the same technique as the one applied for the creation of the object is prohibited. The restoration of the work of art is occupying methods and materials different from the original ones. The reversibility of materials is an inviolate principle in art conservation.
Reversibility is the capability of materials or interventions to be revoked in the future if that is desirable. Reversible materials give us the ability to remove them from the object, in a way that is safe for the object itself. The same goes for the treatments, where we can bring the object in its former state, by reversing actions taken. Reversibility is a basic principle of art conservation because it ensures the objects, in the case of rejection of a material or a technique of modern conservation in the future.
3. If a piece of paint is missing from a painting, does the conservator repaint it?
The filling of missing parts on paintings is done with the employment of a technique that ensures the distinction between new and old, between newly applied and original paint. This technique is called rigatino retouch which is linear aesthetic restoration; colors and forms are rendered by painting thin parallel lines with the use of a very limited color palette. In other words, the spectator is looking at a rather complete painting, where the areas of missing paint are covered with colors and forms similar to their surroundings. However, when he or she approaches the painting, he or she realizes that in these areas the authentic paint is lost and finds out that the colors and forms in these areas are rendered with small parallel lines of newly applied paint, which from a distance produces the impression of more vast color palette and less complex texture then the actual ones.
Retouching is a crucial matter concerning the display of the work of art. Nevertheless, filling of missing areas of paint is something done sparingly - due to showing respect for the original paint - and only on areas of complete loss of the paint layer. The selection of the areas that must be retouched is a complex ethical issue. To deal with it, the complete comprehension of the object is, as in any other case, required. The conservator utilizes his academic knowledge of the arts and his aesthetic culture in order to confront this issue, for the benefit of the object's spectators, and in the same time his or her goal is to protect the object against overstatements which insult its artistic self-existence.
Retouching of a work of art is the restoration of certain damaged areas of the object with reversible filling of these areas, aiming to the enhancement of the object's presentation. The new paint smoothes over the injured face of the object, without being mixed up with the original paint.
Retouching in art conservation follows strict ethical rules about when, where and how is done. In the opposite case, the misguided filling and repainting of every problematic area of the paint layer leads to the creation of a forgery.
4. Is a conservator capable of establishing a forgery?
Yes. The conservator holds the knowledge and the technical means needed to prove the authenticity or forgery of a work of art. During the complex process of documentation, all the aspects of the object's course through time are revealed. The original materials and construction techniques become distinct from the posterior additions and alterations. The conservator can tell apart accidental damage from intentional distortion or counterfeiting. Age evaluation can unveil an excellent replica which aesthetically deceives its owner.
5. Why should I conserve my paintings or my old books?
Because conservation raises the financial value of the objects and improves their dealing capability. Besides, the owner of a work of art or of an historical object is obliged to protect it from decay. We should never forget that all these represent little parts of our cultural heritage.
6. How can someone become a conservator?
Around the world, there are a lot of recognized programs of training in conservation. These courses take place in departments and institutes specialized in conservation of cultural heritage.
In Greece, there is only one widely approved department specialized in training in conservation. It is the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art, within the Faculty of Graphic Arts and Graphic Design at the Technological Educational Institution (T.E.I.) of Athens. The admission requirements are a secondary school diploma, vocational school certificate plus entrance examination or university degree (entrance after grading tests).
In sort, the curriculum of this department combines subjects like archaeology and history of art, painting, sketching and photography, data recording on excavations, specialized chemistry, physicochemical and radiochemical techniques of examination, documentation, dating and analysis of objects, museology, environmental parameters and of course conservation science, conservation theory and practice on authentic artifacts. Duration of training is 4 years (8 semesters), where 40% of training time concerns theory and 60% is practice (laboratories and workshops). The course includes the writing of a thesis and one semester of compulsory practical exercise in museums, excavations, public or private conservation studios. There are no fees claimed and the course is offered annually. The areas of specialization offered to students are two:
a. Conservation of Antiquities (stone, ceramics, glass & porcelain, metal objects, mosaics) and
b. Conservation of Works of Art (panel & canvas painting, wall painting, wood & carving, books & works on paper).
The degree granted is Diploma in Conservation.
Return at the top of the page