AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

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The Paintings Specialty Group (PSG) is excited to offer Easel Exchange again at the upcoming annual meeting in Minneapolis! Due to the popularity of the event, they are expanding this year’s Easel Exchange to 50 participants—sign up soon to reserve your spot!

Last year, PSG hosted the first Easel Exchange, a lunchtime session that allowed conservators to informally present complex decision-making strategies for ongoing treatments, gain feedback on current practices, and generate ideas on paths forward. To continue this brainstorming and sharing of ideas amongst paintings conservators at different stages of their careers, PSG is excited to offer Easel Exchange again in 2025 in an expanded pre-session format, allowing for more paintings conservators to participate, for expanded topics, and for additional time to rotate tables.

Prior to the pre-session, participants will receive an email link through which they can submit a brief description of an ongoing treatment/treatment case study which they will then share informally with a smaller group the day of.

These case studies will then by divided into different tables which could include the following topics (dependent on submission content):

• Cleaning Considerations
• New Conservation Materials
• Aesthetic Integration & Inpainting
• Structural Treatments
• Varnishing Strategies
• Conservation Outreach
• Contemporary Art & Modern Materials
• Ethics & Interfacing with Stakeholders

Participants will also be asked to rank the following topics; this will be used to pre-assign tables and table rotation prior to the event. For questions or more information, please contact Julianna Ly (JLy@clevelandart.org) or Fiona Rutka (fiona.rutka@pch.gc.ca).

We’re looking forward to brainstorming treatment strategies with you!

Collaboration among painters was a defining feature of Flemish painting, particularly among practitioners in 17th century Antwerp. Peter Paul Rubens (1557-1640) and Frans Snijders (1579-1657) periodically worked together, producing artworks of exceptional quality, where their individual contributions were integrated yet distinct. This talk will explore the materials and techniques used in the artistic partnership of Rubens and Snijders, through the case study of a large jointly created painting Larder Still Life with Housekeeper and Young Boy (1636-1638; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles). In the Getty Larder, the still life was painted by Snijders and his studio while the figures were painted by Rubens’ studio. The talk will demonstrate how technical examination can help us understand how these two artists, each with their own distinct styles, combined their strengths to create a unified work of art.  

The Getty Larder was studied using a range of imaging and analytical techniques including: X-radiography, multispectral imaging, infrared reflectography, cross-section analysis coupled with scanning electron microscopy, spot X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, scanning macro XRF spectroscopy, FTIR, and chromatographic methods. These methods yielded copious information about the work’s stratigraphy and preparation. Combining this analysis with close examination of the paint surface, while referring to a preparatory oil sketch made by Rubens (Kitchen Maid, Butcher and Boy around a Table, KMSKA, Antwerp) and two other related paintings (in private collections) portraying similar yet distinct compositions, a step-by-step development of the Getty Larder could be explicated. The examination revealed that the still life was painted first followed by the figures and suggested that the two collaborators had created an efficient workflow to execute large paintings. The technical study also identified areas of pigment degradation and fading which have caused significant color shifts in the painting.   

Even with all this information, unravelling the intricacies of Rubens’ and Snijders’ partnership presented significant challenges. The scarcity of primary sources documenting collaborative processes, the lack of carbon-based underdrawings, the use of similar pigments and binding media across the picture, and the painting’s conservation history made it difficult to separate individual contributions based on material composition alone. Furthermore, characterizing collaboration is complex as Rubens oversaw a large, successful studio with many assistants and students participating in the painting process. Much less is known about other painters working in Antwerp. This talk will present new insights gleaned despite these challenges, providing important context in understanding Rubens’ and Snijders’ collaborative process. 

Undertaking the technical study and treatment of this painting, including removal of degraded natural resin and synthetic varnishes, highlighted how conservation practice in the 21st century is an equally collaborative endeavor. It involves the curator’s expertise, the conservation scientist’s analysis, and the conservator’s knowledge to bridge and synthesize art historical, material, and chemical information. It is only fitting that working with different colleagues has been crucial to generating new insights into the shared working practices of Rubens and Snijders, underscoring the power of collaboration. Artists in 17th century Flemish paintings did not operate in a vacuum and neither do 21st century conservation studios.

The Panel Studio at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) have been collaborating on the treatment of the YCBA’s only painted depiction of the Tudor monarchs—An Allegory of the Tudor Succession (ca. 1590) by an unknown English artist. The painting’s large size (four by six feet) and the complexity of issues in its Baltic oak support required specialized structural treatment that, in the United States, is only currently available at The Met. This paper focuses on the methodology of the structural treatment and what was learned about the painting’s original construction and previous restorations.

An Allegory was taken off view in 2022 so that YCBA conservators could examine it using noninvasive techniques including microscopy, X-radiography, ultraviolet and infrared imaging, and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning. The process revealed detailed information about the paint layers as well as the degree to which the painting had been previously restored. Dendrochronology was undertaken on the panel support to answer questions about two boards that had previously been cut across the grain, to the left of the figure of Elizabeth I. The evidence suggested that the tenting paint, lifting fills, and misalignment in the composition were related to issues in the wood support.

The painting was moved to The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Panel Painting Studio in 2023. Previous structural restorations were carefully reversed. This included removal of modern battens glued over the joins—which had caused splits and disjoins in the oak support, removal of thick layers of dark shellac using solvent gels, and separation of the five boards plus the two fragments that had been cut apart previously. Once separated, more than fifteen linear feet of splits were repaired using V-shaped oak wedges, and almost fifty feet of gluing faces were cleaned and prepared for rejoining. Each rejoin required many hours of careful fitting and adjusting to perfect the surface level and create a continuous surface conformation. Once the choreography required to achieve this was perfected, it was practiced numerous times so rejoining could be done in under 20 minutes—the working time for the adhesive. The area where the two boards had to be butt-joined, and four corners leveled, was particularly complicated. On the reverse, where the original wood had been cut away to receive modern battens in the early twentieth century, aged oak was cut to infill these losses and shaped to follow the original tool marks still present. Finally, a custom curved strainer was built to match the original stepped construction on the back, employing spiral spring tensioners to provide tailored support.

This collaboration highlights the complexity of issues when undertaking the treatment of large, thin panel paintings, and current methods of structural conservation, which continue to evolve. The successful treatment of An Allegory of Tudor Succession depended on numerous discussions and in-person visits between Kristin, Jess, and Alan, and the efforts of both institutions' communications teams to document and share the treatment.

Corneille de Lyon was one of the most prolific painters of 16th-century France, and yet very little is known about his life and oeuvre. Early references called him Corneille de La Haye (from The Hague, Netherlands), but he is documented already settled in Lyon by 1533. There, he established a successful workshop specializing in portraits of the noble, religious and bourgeois classes. As official painter to King Henri II of France (1519-1559), he maintained his workshop until his death in 1573, producing a wide corpus characterized by a naturalistic approach and the small format.

Though it is evident that there is a range of painting styles that falls under the attribution of Corneille, there are no extant signed works by the artist. Only one painting, Pierre Aymeric at the Louvre, has been firmly attributed to the artist thanks to an original inscription, but documentary evidence tells us that at least four people, including his daughter, painted in his workshop. Because of the subtle stylistic differences, it has thus far been impossible to understand which works belong to the painter himself and which belong to his assistants, students, or followers. This veil of mystery further prevents us from understanding the broader cultural context surrounding this artist, his patronage, workshop practice, and how his early life and artistic training in the Netherlands may have influenced French painting more broadly. 

 In her catalogue raisonné, Anne Dubois de Groër divides the oeuvre into what she calls “dark” and “light” paintings but states that without technical study, it is impossible to discern which artworks belong to each category. Very few technical studies of the artist have been conducted since De Groër’s publication in 1997. However, in the last few years, several works by Corneille have been treated and scientifically studied, providing an opportunity to start understanding the artistic process used by this artist and his workshop. This talk will share the early findings from such collaborations by comparing  Corneille’s technique and materials, across a number of paintings, including the Portrait of a Man from the National Gallery of Art of Washington DC and four portraits from the Indianapolis Museum of Art. 

Microscopy, X radiography, Infrared Reflectography, FORS, Infrared Spectroscopy, Reflectance Imaging Spectroscopy, GC-MS, XRF mapping and cross sections are the base for technical discoveries of this subject. The scientific analysis and historical reproduction underpinning this research consider the artworks’ materiality and allowed for the comprehensive study that will help art historians to better categorize the numerous portraits in the many collections in US and Europe. The presentation will also frame the painting production by Corneille in a larger artistic environment, related to Jean Clouet (about 1485/90- about 1540/41), Francois Clouet (before 1520 – 1572) and Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/1498 – 1543). This collaborative project addresses the gap in scholarship, defines whether the distinction between master’s and assistant’s hand is a meaningful metric of quality, and explores how broader workshop production tells a story of equal importance to that of the master.

This paper describes an exceptional collaboration between two private practice firms in the treatment of a large (90” x 104 ½”) canvas painting depicting Abraham and the Three Angels (1762) by the French painter, draughtsman and printmaker Noël Hallé (1711-1781). It was brought to Gianfranco Pocobene Studio in need of comprehensive structural treatment, cleaning and restoration. Remarkably, the painting had remained unlined for more than 260 years and was relatively untouched, but the canvas support was very loose, and it suffered from extensive craquelure, severely cupping paint, incipient paint loss and a badly repaired tear caked with a thick, lead white adhesive patch. An oxidized and yellowed varnish layer dulled the image but overall, the paint layers remained largely intact and well preserved.

The unique circumstance of having a large canvas that had remained unlined for more than 260 years initiated much discussion and consideration about the best course of treatment. Could the painting be treated without lining or did its condition in fact warrant a lining to ensure the long-term preservation of the painted image? Ultimately, the need to line the painting proved vital and while other lining methods such as a BEVA adhesive lining were explored, the decision was made to perform a traditional glue-paste lining which, in this case it was decided, would best deal with the paint and canvas problems. This lining technique is rarely if ever executed in North America and so a treatment collaboration was struck between Gianfranco Pocobene Studio and ArtCare Conservation. The success of the lining procedure was made possible through considerable planning between the two firms and most importantly, its execution which was led by Oliver Watkiss, an expert in glue-paste lining techniques.

The design and fabrication of an aluminum Dutch stretcher (loom) to facilitate the lining procedure in collaboration with a local metal worker will also be explored. Furthermore, the project provided two conservation graduate summer interns with the opportunity to learn new techniques and actively participate in a large and complex painting conservation treatment.

The Conserving Canvas Initiative project focused on reformulating BEVA 371 has completed its goal of making a new formulation of Beva 371 with the same activation properties of the formulation developed by Gustav Berger in the early 1970s. This became necessary because after about 2005 the main tackifier was discontinued, coincidentally around the time of Berger’s death, and the formulation containing the substitute tackifier required more heat to properly activate. Berger recommended 65 °C as the activation temperature and noted that it acted as a heat-set adhesive, not a hot melt adhesive. Posthumous formulations after 2005 perform more like  hot-melts and require activation temperatures of 70 °C. Through collaboration with the University of Akron (UA) Polymer Science and Engineering department, test formulations were screened and evaluated through a range of end-user testing methodologies common to Paintings Conservators working in museums and in private practice. Peel strength and shear studies were carried out at UA on mockups of paintings on linen and advanced shear testing was carried out at Virginia Tech. The Akron-optimized formulation is phthalate-free and has proven to have heat-set activation properties akin to Berger’s formulation. In addition to films and solutions currently available commercially, Akron is investigating solvent-free pellets and non-woven sheets of the formulation. The non-woven consists of monofilament that is pure adhesive cast onto release paper, similar to how the film is currently produced; it does not rely upon a carrier. The benefits of a heat-set adhesive based on the semi-crystalline EVA copolymers used in BEVA 371 and the prospects of the formulation available in both pelletized and non-woven forms are discussed.

Conflict of Interest: This research has been fully funded by the Getty Foundation and the authors have no financial or material interest in CPC or CTS, the producers of BEVA products.

Advanced thermomechanical studies have been carried out on the first formulation BEVA 371 containing Laropal K-80 (discontinued ca. 2005) and formulations recently developed at the University of Akron. Studies are based on neat films of the adhesives and adhered bonds between a mock painting on linen and linen and polyester lining canvases.  Creep behavior of old and new formulations using principles of thermomechanical analysis and time-temperature superposition (TTSP) produce master curves allowing for the creep performance of the adhesive to be predicted over longer time periods. Furthermore, by utilizing small/wide-angle X-ray scattering methods and fast-scanning calorimetry, we relate the adhesive’s creep performance to the underlying semi-crystalline morphology, which can be fine-tuned based on the thermal treatment of the adhesive during activation. Additionally, creep behavior of mock samples was imaged by (3-dimensional) digital image correlation (DIC) analysis under fixed-load creep testing. Findings provide insight into qualities related to the performance of the adhesive during activation and illustrate concerns of stress concentration relevant to edge-lining treatments but absent in full linings. 

Conflict of Interest: This research has been fully funded by the Getty Foundation and the authors have no financial or material interest in CPC or CTS, the producers of BEVA products.

Research was conducted in the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron to investigate the development of an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) adhesive for the lining of paintings.  The goal was to make a formulation closer to performance of the original material introduced in the 1970s. Studies found a temperature dependence between the crystalline and amorphous band of the ethylene component of the copolymer in the FTIR spectrum. It was also observed that this trend correlated with tack development. Thus, screening of candidates for replacement tackifier was made more efficient by gathering temperature dependent FTIR spectra of small samples of experimental formulations. The more successful candidates were further screened through mockups prepared by Paintings Conservators and tested in replicates allowing for statistics of bond strength to be included in the findings. The resulting formulation is a phthalate-free formulation utilizing a hydrogenated rosin ester tackifier. In addition to a revised formulation in the traditional solutions, research included calendaring of solvent-free films, experimental testing of aqueous dispersions, the processing of the optimized formulation into pellets and a non-woven cast onto release paper. The final phase of this project consisted of sharing these procedures with the commercial manufacturers of BEVA products to better meet the needs of the cultural heritage community.  

Conflict of Interest: This research has been fully funded by the Getty Foundation and the authors have no financial or material interest in CPC or CTS, the producers of BEVA products.

Stay after the last talk of the day to mingle with your fellow Paintings Specialty Group members. Enjoy light refreshments and treat yourself to a glass of wine or a mocktail from the cash bar.

Join your fellow Paintings Specialty Group members for an informal networking session before the start of the talks at 9 am.

The Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC), Singapore, an institution of the National Heritage Board (NHB) is the centralized storage and conservation facility of Singapore in charge of managing, preserving, documenting, conserving and supporting access to more than 230,000 works of the National Collection of Singapore. Within this collection, oversize paintings, some spanning up to ten meters, have been stored in rolled form due to space constraints at HCC. Anticipating the continued acquisitions of oversize paintings, a senior collections officer’s enquiry to the Paintings conservators about reducing the diameter of the rollers to maximise storage capacity, prompted a three-year study on improving the care and storage of large paintings in the National Collection. 

Collaboratively, the conservators and senior collections officer surveyed a total of sixty-one rolled paintings encompassing traditional easel works to opera theatre and puppet backdrops on different supports and mediums. Among these paintings are works by renowned Southeast Asian artists such as Semsar Siahaan, Basoeki Abdullah, Maria Taniguchi, and others. The team meticulously documented the whole process of unrolling and rerolling of the paintings, examining and recording details such as the dimension of the rollers, interleaving materials and storage systems. 

During the assessment of the paintings' condition, historically known and expected damages resulting from the rolling system proved to be true as the members observed a rhombus-like pattern imprinted on the paintings, undulations and deformations across the paint surface and support on many works. The findings propelled the team to embark on research for solutions to improve the methods and materials used. They explored alternative storage spaces, developed a guideline on rolling paintings and established a protocol on storing newly acquired large paintings. Additionally, they aimed to raise awareness on the adverse effects of permanently storing paintings rolled among the various stakeholders including collections officers, paintings conservators, curators and art handlers. Importantly, this collaborative effort also enables collections officers and conservators to work together to prioritize paintings for stretching and storage, taking into account the available storage space and planning for areas that can accommodate stretched paintings in the future.

Andy Warhol’s Oxidation paintings of 1977-78 represent the Pop Artist’s exploration of abstraction in the final decade of his life. For an artist deeply invested in a mechanical approach to image making, Warhol paradoxically introduced the intimately human element of urine as the painting medium to the effect of unpredictable colors and patterns. The resultant series of nearly 100 works with irregular forms and sometimes-arabesque abstractions are a distinctive contribution to the art and conservation fields alike as no other paintings containing urine are so widely known. The renowned gold and copper-colored canvases, with fields of greens, blacks, and browns, belong to institutions and private collections in the States and abroad, but the focus of this research is the oversized 1978 Oxidation (50” x 200”, 127 x 508 cm) in The Andy Warhol Museum. The project was facilitated by a temporary HVAC failure at The Warhol during the pandemic summer of 2020 when Oxidation reacted to the fluctuations in the gallery climate. The 45-year-old canvas secreted liquid from within its paint layers, resulting in color changes and new drips in the metal field. The Warhol is uniquely positioned to carry out the study because it is also home to archives of the artist’s work, which include scraps cut off from original canvases and numerous painting materials, such as the metallic powders and paints used by the artist in the Oxidation series. Empirical data was collected from the painting as well as mockups, which were made according to the documented techniques of Warhol and his Factory assistants. Scientists in sister institutions and the private sector then identified materials and corrosion products in the original works with x-ray diffraction and SEM/EDS. Subjection of mockups in artificial aging chambers set to parameters akin to those experienced in June of 2020 helped to determine the active role of metallic salts in climate variation. This study confirms the delicate nature of materials in modern collections, especially the non-static behavior of components in the Oxidation series and the importance of reliable climate control systems in facilities that house works of art and cultural heritage. During a time when museums are considering means to reduce their carbon footprint, this study supports a continuation of strict climate standards.

Two large, full-length paintings of male figures, each wearing antique garb amid ruined architectural surroundings, have been art historical mysteries for decades, if not longer. These works on canvas, in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), were made by the famous Venetian master of the cinquecento Paolo Caliari, otherwise known as Veronese, but it is unclear when exactly the artist made them, for what building, and for what patron. Their subjects, while tentatively described as allegories—Allegory of Navigation with a Cross-Staff and Allegory of Navigation with an Astrolabe—are uncertain, and though they have long been hung together, it is unclear if they were initially part of a larger decorative cycle. LACMA deinstalled much of its permanent collection as it prepares for the grand opening of its new Geffen Galleries, presenting an opportunity to both treat and carry out research on these intriguing paintings.

            The paintings were examined closely throughout conservation treatment, which included cleaning, varnishing, and retouching, among other steps. The surface was examined using a stereomicroscope, and high-quality imaging and materials analysis were carried out, including X-radiography, infrared photography, and hand-held XRF. Paint sample cross-sections were examined using PLM and analyzed using SEM-EDX. In addition, a study trip to see related works, two of which have been suggested as being part of a series with LACMA’s works, and the Biblioteca Marciana in Saint Mark’s Square, Venice, which has been long been cited as the possible original location of the works, complemented the technical study. The results of this research provide valuable insight into Veronese’s approach to creating LACMA’s works. The authors will discuss these findings in detail, including the use of certain materials that have become altered over time, affecting our current perception of the works. The study’s results also provide new clues as to the painting’s origins. For instance, research into old paper labels on the paintings’ reverse establishes a new link previously unknown in the painting’s nineteenth century provenance (including a passing connection to the Statue of Liberty in New York!). They also show that Veronese opted for the relatively inexpensive blue pigment smalt, both for use in the skies and in several draperies, and they show that Veronese made few changes in the composition as he worked. These last two findings differ markedly from the artist’s approach in one of the possible pendants, and the authors discuss possible reasons for these differences. 

               While many questions remain, this study makes a small but significant contribution towards refining our understanding of these works. The authors additionally suggest future steps that could be carried out to solve some of the outstanding mysteries surrounding the paintings’ origins.

Joan Mitchell (1925–1992), with her bold, intense colors and dynamic compositions, created some of the most lush and painterly surfaces of the 20th century. The question of how Mitchell painted has intrigued viewers, art historians, and conservators since the beginning of her career. Irving Sandler’s 1957 profile, which focused on the creation of her painting Bridge, was the first major article to delve into her process. In 1974, Marcia Tucker observed that "Mitchell is an artist whose work is less concerned with ideas or art issues than with the act of painting itself—with the gesture, physicality, and sumptuousness of the pigment she uses." Critics often note her background in figure skating, suggesting that her paintings should be viewed with an awareness of her talent for spinning and gliding. Mitchell is frequently described as a "painter's painter," implying that the tactile experience of brush on canvas is essential to fully understanding and appreciating her work.

Despite the importance of Joan Mitchell’s painting techniques to her lasting significance, there has yet to be a dedicated study of her methods and materials. Having examined and/or treated over one hundred of her paintings, the team at Modern Art Conservation has gained significant technical insights. Her work presents various challenges to the conservator, both when writing condition reports that accurately document and describe conditions that may be inherent to and even expected of her materials, as well as when devising effective and appropriate treatment strategies to ensure the longevity of her works. Many of our colleagues have encountered similar challenges, especially in recent years, as major exhibitions such as the Joan Mitchell Retrospective in 2021 and Monet – Mitchell in 2023 have been mounted and as Mitchell’s paintings continue to rise in value in the market.

This paper will explore Mitchell's choices of paints, tools, and supports and will examine her working methods throughout her career, situated within the context of the artistic communities and environments in which she lived. It will also address the ways her paintings continue to evolve and the conservation challenges this can present, with the goal of guiding future conservation efforts and ensuring that inherent changes do not distort the ongoing interpretation and appreciation of her work.

Construction at Ernest Horn Elementary school in Iowa city necessitated the moving of a little-known mural by Keith Haring.  This mural as the result of a long-time friendship between artist Keith Haring and art teacher Colleen Ernst.  In 1989 months before his death Haring traveled to Iowa City and completed the mural in the school library in front of crowd of children and teachers.  
What appeared to be as simple project, taking a large, framed artwork from a cinder block wall, developed into a complex and costly construction project involving multiple parties.  Not only was the mural firmly attached to the wall, but the clients for the project were a city school district and a state university.  Neither large organization had the personnel of the bandwidth to devote the necessary attention to detail to manage a project of this scale.
Few conservators have formal training in project management, but the daily problem-solving skills necessary to navigate treating works of art are similarto project management.  Flexibility and the nimble approach the conservators bring to the table make them excellent planners.  Familiarity with working within the limits of material objects leads to compatibility with construction trades.
This paper will outline how following the protocol of conservation treatments served to organize a multi-faceted project with many challenges and personalities.

In autumn 2022, the Balboa Art Conservation Center (BACC) received a delicate and significant object for examination: a portrait of Jassim Al-Oboudi, a prominent Iraqi actor and professor, painted on a single ply of plywood. This portrait, one of the few items the Jassim family managed to bring with them when fleeing Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party regime in the 1970s, was in a fragile state with flaking paint and numerous splits in the single ply of wood, held together as a single unit by shipping tape on the verso.

BACC paintings conservators, unfamiliar with treating a painting on a 2 mm ply, sought external advice but faced more questions and treatment options than clear solutions. The necessary research, mock-ups, and professional development needed made treatment prohibitively expensive for the family.

As a nonprofit committed to public benefit and making conservation accessible, BACC, led by Executive Director Leticia Gomez Franco, established a pro bono treatment program for objects of local cultural value that also provided opportunities for skill development for BACC conservators. Given El Cajon’s large Iraqi (Chaldean) community– the second-largest outside Iraq, after Detroit–, the portrait was an important piece of local history. Conservators Bianca Garcia and Morgan Wylder embarked on a pilot project to treat the portrait, which involved considerable additional research.

Initial consultations with conservators from various specialties revealed a lack of consensus on how to approach the treatment. Despite many ideas, practical experience with similar objects was limited. Synthesizing all recommendations, the treatment goals focused on finding a practical solution to achieve structural stability and allow the portrait to be displayed in the family’s home. Ultimately, the decision was made to return the painting to its original layered construction and back onto a plywood support. With the guidance of furniture conservators,  Morgan and Bianca learned techniques generally used to apply decorative veneers back onto wooden supports, adapting them to accommodate the paint layers. 

The project was successful on several fronts: the portrait was effectively conserved and returned to the Jassim family, BACC conservators gained new skills from collaborating experts, and the pilot program demonstrated a valuable approach for future projects. This initiative prompted BACC to reconsider its role in community service and affordability. Can we truly serve our community if only those who can afford treatment benefit? Are these issues for only nonprofits to address? While much remains to be explored, the experience has reinforced BACC’s commitment to addressing these challenges.

The 1896 residence of Caroline and John Jacob Astor IV on Fifth Avenue in New York City was designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt and renovated in 1910 by Carrere and Hastings, two of the most prominent architects of America’s Gilded Age. The mansion contained reproduction boiserie period rooms produced by the French interior decorating firm Jules Allard et Fils, emulating the tradition of ornately carved and gilded wood paneling of the 17th and 18th centuries in France. Prior to demolition of the Astor residence, two of these rooms—the Cream Salon and Library—were purchased in 1926 by John Ringling and soon after installed as period rooms in the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida. In addition to the 1910 renovation, the period rooms had received later alterations and repairs, including overpainting of all painted paneling and much of the gilded ornament.

In 2023, EverGreene Architectural Arts was retained by the museum to elaborate upon earlier investigations, to characterize historic finishes in the rooms and carry out condition assessments and treatment testing. The goal was to better understand the boiserie techniques and develop methods for the appropriate conservation of the wood, gilding, painted finishes, and clear coatings on the wood paneling.

In this study, a more refined understanding of Jules Allard’s manufacturing and decorating processes was achieved. In particular, Allard drew upon traditional 17th-century French architectural gilding techniques, while also using more contemporary methods to enhance the depth and dimensionality of gilded surfaces. Visual examination combined with exposure windows and overpaint removal testing, in conjunction with optical microscopy and instrumental analysis, helped to confirm that Allard created desired visual effects by applying sanded boles, juxtaposing oil gilding and water gilding techniques, selectively burnishing the gold, and toning with shellac. In addition to identifying Allard’s 19th-century manufacturing methods, including the incorporation of wood veneers, the results of this investigation suggested the use of salvaged elements from authentic boiserie.

Xanthan-konjac/agar double-network hydrogels, a recent addition to the conservation cleaning toolkit, are thermoreversible, optically clear, cohesive, flexible, conformable, and elastic hydrogels capable of controlled delivery of a broad range of aqueous preparations, some organic solvents, and microemulsions. The development of these hydrogels is described in a separate submission.

Here, a series of case studies illustrate successful applications of these gels for the cleaning of easel paintings, painted surfaces, East Asian export lacquer, gilded surfaces, and works of art on paper, highlighting potential uses and limitations for these versatile formulations. Taken together, we present a model for early dissemination of emergent treatment materials, embracing a feedback loop to refine production and application techniques.

In 1924, while looking into ways to utilize southern yellow pine sawmill waste, William H. Mason invented a process to create a new type of hardboard. Within a year, he established a plant in Laurel, Mississippi to manufacture his new material. By 1926, Mason applied for, and was awarded, several patents for this new engineered hardboard that would be known as Masonite. Developed at the beginning of the Great Depression, and over the next 100 years, its affordability made it a popular material for use in homes, design, and art.

Soon after production began, Masonite was being used by artists.  An advertisement for Masonite in the June 1928 issue of Scientific American asked: “Where will this grainless wood be used next?” and “Did you know… that it is in daily service at the Chicago Art Institute as artist’s boards?“  It was in the paintings of Chicago-based Regionalist painters including Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton that we first find Masonite being widely used. It could be said that the rise of Masonite parallels the rise of American Regionalism and Social or Urban Realism painting in the 1930s, movements that represented a direct reaction against European Modernist painting. Rejecting not only traditional European subject matter but also traditional painting materials, Masonite was both affordable and readily available.

However, American painters were not the only artists who reached for Masonite in their attempt to upend the traditional hierarchy of painting materials and subject matter. The Catalan painter, Joan Miro, famously used Masonite in a series of 27 paintings in his attempt to do just that –to “assassinate painting” -between the years of 1927 and 1937 By 1940, in order to ramp up hardboard production, Masonite had licensed manufacturing facilities in Australia, Canada, Italy and Sweden. Its use as a painting support quickly spread across the globe.

Scholars of art materials and techniques, including Ralph Mayer, have written about the use of Masonite in making art. The changes in advice over subsequent editions reveal a changing understanding of the pros and cons of Masonite’s properties. Sorting out the history and details of Masonite production and how this has changed over time as well as the history of its use will help us more accurately understand the role of Masonite as an art material and why, at times, problems arise in its use.  

Bartolomeo Vivarini’s 1485 monumental altarpiece Virgin and the Dead Christ with the Ascension and Saints consists of a central polychrome sculpture surrounded by nine panel paintings all enclosed in the original ornate gilded frame. It is signed on the base of the Pietà: FACTVM VENETIIS PER BARTOLOMEVM VIVARINVM DE MVRIANO PINXIT 1485 (“Made in Venice by Bartolomeo Vivarini of Murano he painted it 1485”). Though the altarpiece was dismantled when it was removed from its original location in current-day Croatia in 1876, it is believed to be a completely intact work. The work has been in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) since 1901, with the various elements receiving different degrees of treatment over the past century. As a result of this uneven treatment history, the altarpiece has never read as a unified work of art. 

A major collaborative conservation treatment, supported by technical and scientific research, was carried out between 2018-2024 with the aim of finally bringing all the elements of the altarpiece into a cohesive whole. This presentation explores the ways in which distinct conservation specialties approached the treatment working in tandem with our research scientists and curators. 

Each element of the altarpiece was documented and examined thoroughly using techniques such as X-radiography, UV fluorescence, and infrared reflectography. The structure of the Pietà was investigated with CT-scanning at Massachusetts General Hospital. The materials (pigments, varnishes, gilding) were analyzed to better understand their composition and determine if the same materials were used consistently throughout, using methods including optical microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

Structural work was carried out on all the elements to stabilize splitting or cracking of the wooden substrates and strengthen areas of insect damage.  Some of the panels were sent to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Paintings Conservation Studio for more specialized treatment.  

Treatment was carried out simultaneously in the Paintings, Objects, and Frame Conservation studios, all of which are now in proximity, along with the Conservation Science department, in the MFA’s newly renovated Conservation Center. At several points in the treatment process the various parts of the altarpiece were brought together and reviewed with the entire team, including curatorial colleagues, to make sure that the levels of first cleaning and then compensation remained consistent. As treatment progressed, previously unnoticed or obscured details shared by the different pieces emerged, highlighting the complementary relationship among painting, sculpture, and frame. These visual cues were bolstered by the results of scientific analysis, which more firmly tied the works together. 

This project, completed in the spring of this year (2024), was an exciting opportunity for many of the divisions of the Conservation Department to collaborate on treatment and analysis. It led to fruitful exchanges of methods and different uses of materials and has built a framework for more collaborative treatment projects in the future.

Dendrochronology is a method of dating the age of wood, based on the measurement of tree ring widths followed by statistical comparison with master chronologies. Dendrochronology is used widely in the study and authentication of artworks, particularly furniture, panel paintings, and sculptures. In traditional dendrochronology this involves destructive surface preparation, macro photography, and manual ring counting. On painted surfaces or inlaid panels however, the tree rings are often not accessible to retrieve this information. X-ray imaging has therefore been used with success to obtain virtual cross-sections of objects without invasive methods. A proven method is CT scanning, which provides a three-dimensional image of the object, which can be virtually 'sliced' to obtain images of the tree rings. Recently, fast digital radiography detectors with high resolution have become available that can be combined with commercially available digital turntables to rapidly generate large numbers of radiographs of a single object at fixed angular increments. With these, it is now possible to generate full X-ray tomographic reconstructions (CT scans) using equipment available in many museum radiography laboratories. This eliminates the need for dedicated CT equipment or the transport of artworks to specialized facilities.

Large flat panels of wood, such as those used in furniture and panel paintings, pose difficult problems for conventional tomography because it can be difficult or impossible to rotate the entire panel within the field of view, and because the thickness of wood presented to the X-ray beam varies so dramatically as it is rotated.

In this presentation, we will present a solution to the challenge of large panels by obtaining X-ray images in a limited angular range. The resulting tomographic reconstruction has lower resolution in depth, but tree rings are still clearly resolved. The creation of a full 3D reconstruction means that obscuring elements such as marquetry, paint, and cradles can be virtually stripped away. We take an extra step by then using imaging processing methods to automatically measure the tree rings along the full 3D volume, thus averaging thousands of measurements and yielding precise and robust measurements. This method was developed using only the in-house X-ray imaging equipment of the J. Paul Getty Museum – which consists of a digital detector and a simple computer-controlled turntable. We demonstrate the method and prove that it works on test planks first. The obtained measurements are compared to traditional measurements made by three dendrochronologists. We then continue to apply the method on a case study object from the J. Paul Getty Museum. This method should allow many more artworks and architectural elements to be dated by dendrochronology than ever before.

We combine the expertise of dendrochronologists, conservators, X-ray scientists and computer scientists in a highly interdisciplinary project. The project is a collaboration between the J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles) and the Center for Mathematics and Computer Science (Amsterdam).

The recent conservation treatment of a fifteenth-century Spanish altarpiece at the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University provided an opportunity to explore aspects of collaboration past and present. In this talk we will share recent research on the materials, techniques, and workshop practices of the Saint John the Baptist altarpiece (ca. 1415-20), a fragmentarily preserved retable attributed to the Aragonese painter Blasco de Grañén and now in the collection of the San Diego Museum of Art. The surviving panels of what was once a larger structure include a monumental central depiction of John the Baptist flanked by four scenes from the saint’s life. The treatment of the painting presented the opportunity for its examination, which was carried out using an array of techniques including binocular microscopy, x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), infrared reflectography, x-radiography, cross-sections, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), and Raman spectroscopy. Physical and stylistic aspects suggested aspects of cooperation within the Zaragosa workshop and offered information on the retable’s original construction and its conservation history. Salient features of the painting’s facture include its freely incised preparatory drawing and its innovative use of metal leaf in the rendering of textiles. It shows both similarities and differences with contemporary art in Spain and Italy. Through this research, we contribute to the still-understudied field of fifteenth-century Spanish and especially Aragonese painting; though a few publications have appeared recently, there is little information on the methods of many important workshops, nor on the commonalities and variations in the period’s artistic practice.

The treatment and technical study of the five panels was carried out within the Kress Program in Paintings Conservation at the Conservation Center by four students and one instructor and under the guidance of additional colleagues. The project provided an opportunity to work together as a group to examine and treat a large composite object; to coordinate, in both cleaning and retouching, the unified presentation of an array of panels in different conditions; and to collaborate in scientific investigation and writing. The talk will hence also reflect upon that experience within an educational context. It will sketch the division of research by subject and summarize the discussions and challenges that arose through the processes of restoration and scholarship. The desideratum of collaboration brought a heightened awareness of the painting’s original materials and our own conservation methods, as this fragmentary object presented many variations in condition and even in response to the same treatment steps. With its numerous, coordinated moving parts and apprenticeship-like structure, this project created a kind of modern analogue to the traditional workshop in which the retable was made.