History of Conservation and Restoration Research Papers

Review: Johannes Taubert, Polychrome Sculpture: Meaning, Form, Conservation. Edited with a new introduction by Michele D. Marincola. Translated from the German by Carola Schulman. Los Angeles: Getty Publications, 2015. Pp. xiv, 234; 35... more

Desde a instituição da Academia de Belas Artes de Lisboa, em 1836, surgiram as preocupações com a manutenção das colecções de pintura que então passaram para a sua guarda. Ao longo dos anos, vamos encontrando múltiplas referências... more

Le vicende restaurative che hanno interessato l’Arco di Alfonso di Aragona in Castelnuovo a Napoli tra il 1903 e il 1908 grazie all’ingegnere Adolfo Avena (1860-1937), Direttore del locale “Ufficio regionale per la Conservazione dei... more

Le vicende restaurative che hanno interessato l’Arco di Alfonso di Aragona in Castelnuovo
a Napoli tra il 1903 e il 1908 grazie all’ingegnere Adolfo Avena (1860-1937), Direttore del locale “Ufficio
regionale per la Conservazione dei Monumenti delle Province meridionali”, hanno rappresentato, nell’ambito
della Cultura del Restauro italiana del Novecento, un passaggio fondamentale per la realizzazione di una
moderna prassi restaurativa in grado di condensare aspetti estetici e valori conservativi. Sono successivamente
state individuate diverse ispirazioni per quell’opera di Avena, svoltasi tra il 1903 e il 1904, ma senza
dubbio l’appoggio tributato all’ingegnere da Camillo Boito (con le sue riflessioni teoriche e metodologiche),
quelle napoletane di Benedetto Croce e poi quelle ministeriali di Corrado Ricci (dopo il 1906), gli permisero
di mettere a punto un’azione particolarmente apprezzata dalle Autorità del Ministero competente e quindi
efficacemente divulgata; anche Gustavo Giovanni successivamente non mancò di lodare l’opera di Avena prima
di venir egli stesso coinvolto nelle vicende restaurative del Castello (1928). Una vicenda complessa che vide
insomma coinvolte – direttamente e indirettamente – tutte le principali riviste specialistiche del momento,
dando luogo anche ad ampi dibattiti interpretativi sul problema della paternità progettuale dell’Arco, oltre che
sui paradigmi metodologici del Restauro.
The restorative events that interessed the Arch of Alfonso di Aragona in Castelnuovo in Naples between 1903
and 1908 – thanks to the engineer Adolfo Avena (1860-1937), Director of the local “Regional Office for
the Conservation of Monuments of the Southern Provinces” – represented, in the Italian Restoration culture
of the Twentieth century, a fundamental step for the development of a modern restorative practice able to
condense aesthetic aspects and conservative values. Several inspirations were subsequently identified for that
work by Avena, held between 1903 and 1904, but without doubt the support given to the engineer by Camillo
Boito (with his theoretical and methodological reflections), ones in Naples by Benedetto Croce and then the
ministerial ones of Corrado Ricci (after 1906), allowed him to develop an action particularly appreciated by
the competent Ministry Authorities and therefore effectively pubblished; also Gustavo Giovanni later did not
fail to praise the work of Avena before he himself became involved in the restoration of the Castle (1928). A
complex story that was reviewed in short, directly and indirectly, by all the main Specialists of the moment,
giving rise also to extensive interpretative debates on the problem of the design paternity of the Arch, as well as
on the methodological paradigms of the Restoration.

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- by Christofer Herrmann
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- 11
  Romanticism, German Romanticism, Medieval Architecture, Poland

The paper discusses the first attempts to establish a restoration workshop at the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb in the 1930s, the circumstances that led to the formation of the workshop in 1942, and its activity under the management... more

The paper discusses the first attempts to establish a restoration workshop at the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb in the 1930s, the circumstances that led to the formation of the workshop in 1942, and its activity under the management of restorer Zvonimir Wyroubal (1900 – 1990). Special attention is given to restoration-related documentation drawn within the workshop, as well as to the circumstances in which the workshop became part of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1948.
The first attempts to form a restoration workshop of the Museum of Arts and Crafts date back to the 1930s, during the directorship of Professor Vladimir Tkalčić (1883 – 1971). Tkalčić had a keen interest in the issues of practical preservation of museum objects, and at the beginning of his career he tried his hand at restoration work.
The institution of the Museum of Arts and Crafts restoration workshop in 1942 was encouraged by several factors: war circumstances, or rather the arrival of large quantities of heavily damaged artworks from war- affected areas, Tkalčić’s encouragement and support for the project, and, most importantly, Zvonimir Wyroubal’s transfer to the museum service (Wyroubal was a teacher until then). Without Wyroubal’s expertise, skills and resourcefulness, the institution and operation of the museum workshop would not be possible. The workshop established by Tkalčić and Wyroubal in 1942 was the first restoration workshop to operate within a public institution in Croatia.
At first, the workshop was informal in character: Wyroubal did the restoration work, but his official position was that of a draughtsman. He worked in very modest conditions. After the death of restorer Ferdo Goglia in May 1943, his family donated his restoration tools and literature to the Museum of Arts and Crafts, which proved essential to the normal functioning of Wyroubal’s workshop. By the end of the Second
World War, some fifty of the most damaged works of art were restored there. Restoration work intensified after the war. In 1945, Wyroubal was joined by academic sculptor and Museum director’s wife Antonija Koščević Tkalčić (1891 – 1981) and at the end of that year by restorer Stanislava (Slavka) Dekleva. At about the same time, Jelena (Jelisava) Paladin-Bocarić entered the workshop as restoration apprentice. The arrival of expert staff to the restoration workshop of the Museum of Arts and Crafts marked the beginning of the development of the restoration service in Croatia.
Restorations were systematically documented by the restorers in the workshop. During the first few years, descriptions of the current state of the artwork and the procedures performed on them were somewhat more extensive. From the second half of 1945 onward, probably due to the increased number of artworks arriving to the workshop, notes in the documentation files became much briefer. Only procedures on more valuable works of art were described in more detail. The written documentation of the workshop of the Museum of Arts and Crafts is today preserved at the Croatian Conservation Institute and represents an important source of information on the technology of restoring paintings and polychrome wooden sculpture during the 1940s.
Wyroubal led the restoration workshop of the Museum of Arts and Crafts until it became part of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1948. Two factors contributed to the closing of the museum workshop: the fact that it was moved from the Museum of Arts and Crafts building in 1946 and Wyroubal’s growing responsibilities within the Academy. After its joining the Yugoslav Academy, the workshop was renamed the Conservation Institute, and Wyroubal became the manager of the newly established institution.

The concept of a cultural biography of objects refers to the insight among archaeologists and cultural anthropologists that they, in a way, have ‘social lives’. That is, pottery vessels are not just ‘tools’ with a particular function,... more

Colóquio Internacional "Intervir na Memória. Restauros de época moderna em monumentos funerários medievais (sécs. XV-XX)" . Lisboa, Faculdade de Belas-Artes da Universidade de Lisboa, 25 e 26 de Setembro de 2019 | International Colloquium... more

The Restoration of Nidaros Cathedral began in 1869 and still continues. The four most important architects and their work are good examples of the changing attitudes to the restoration of medieval cathedrals all over Europe.

The interiors of the castle in Bučovice , built in the last quarter of the 16th century by Jan Šembera Černohorský of Boskovice with the help of the imperial antiquarian Jacopo Strada, are an exceptionally high-quality example of... more

The interiors of the castle in Bučovice , built in the last quarter of the 16th century by Jan Šembera Černohorský of Boskovice with the help of the imperial antiquarian Jacopo Strada, are an exceptionally high-quality example of Mannerist art in Moravia. The representative areas lost their original purpose with the change in the castle 's function and were used to store the archives of the Liechtenstein accountant from the end of the 18th century until the end of World War II. The utilitarian use of the most valuable premises of the castle continued for a while after the war. After the castle was assumed by the National Cultural Commission, the building was one of these that were earmarked with priority to be opened to the public. ln the case of Bučovice, this was supposed to be the establishment of a museum of Renaissance housing culture in the castle interior, so the first stage was the restoration of representative rooms on the ground floor. The rich file material and historical photo documentation now permits us to reconstruct the course of the extensive restoration with relative accuracy. The method by which the hall was to be restored and presented was created by representatives of post-war heritage care institutions; first the National Cultural Commission, later the State Heritage Administration, then the State Heritage Office for Moravia and Silesia and the Regional National Committee in Brno. Restoration began in 1952 in the lmperial Hall, where the richest decorations (stucco statues, reliefs, murals, and panel paintings mounted on the vault) were preserved. The works were commissioned to the Prague cooperative Tvar (Shape), which was established in 194 8 as an institution associating artists and restorers. The head of the restoration section, architect František Mayerhoffer designed the first concept of the restoration intervention on behalf of the cooperative. The work itself was carried out by sculptor Miroslav Böswart and painter Antonín Erhardt, who presented his experience with restoration work in Italy and Germany. The first phase of the restoration involved the clearing of the stucco decorations, and it was decided that minor additions to the damaged statues would be made. A conservation procedure with neutral retouching was carried out on the grotesque painting of the vault. The first year of the work, however, saw a fundamental change in the restoration team. The painter Erhardt left Bučovice under unclear circumstances and was replaced by the painter Kutílek and other unnamed collaborators of the Tvar team. The new workers repaired the bezels behind the stucco figures, where extensive areas were overpainted, as well as the paintings in the window niches where serious problems later appeared. Eventually, cooperation with the Tvar cooperative was completely terminated, and in 1954, František Fišer, one of the most experienced experts in the field of mural painting, was called to the site; he expressed significant criticism of the previous work. The criticism was particularly targeted towards the use of incorrect fixation, which caused the coloured layers in the window frames and the background of the lunettes to fall away. ln addition to repairing the stucco decorations, the lmperial Hall underwent three restoration works on the paintings within a short time: neutral retouching, extensive repainting, and repair of incorrect fixation. František Fišer's work was not entirely satisfactory either, however, which is why František Sysel continued to repair the lintels in the 1980s. His work, however, remained unfinished. Other modifications to the hall, such as the replacement of the Renaissance doors or the replacement of the original brick floor with marble, were motivated by an effort to present the property as best as possible but did not respect the authentic details. ln the end, the representatives of the participating institutions themselves declared this to be a demanding event in post-war Moravia with which there had been no previous experience.

Revision historica de la conservacion en México, con énfasis en los objetos ceramicos.

Based on oral history interviews with colormen: Leonard Bocour (1978); Henry Levison (1986) Robert Gamblin (2002), and Mark Golden (2003) in addition to interviews with scientist René de la Rie (2003), industrial hygienist Monona Rossol... more

Οι εργασίες Συντηρήσεως και Αποκαταστάσεως του Αρτοφορείου του 18ου αι.

Many archaeological ceramics from the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden have been restored at some time during their lifespan. Since a large part of the museum’s collection was established during the nineteenth... more

This chapter examines the integral role that conservation plays within fashion curation.

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- by Sarah Scaturro
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- 48
  History, Cultural History, Cultural Studies, Labor Economics

Abstract Many medieval manuscripts suffered from antiquarian zeal during the eighteenth-century revival of interest in medieval art: enthusiasts often augmented their own albums and private collections by removing attractive... more

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- by Sonja Drimmer
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- 25
  European History, Art History, Women's Studies, Women's History

All'interno di un volume monografico dedicato al restauro (2011-2012) del Martirio di San Lorenzo di Tiziano, oggi nella chiesa dei Gesuiti a Venezia, il saggio prende in esame la storia conservativa del dipinto, soffermandosi in... more

Seminario sul rapporto fra fotografia e storia del restauro (Università degli Studi di Udine, 19-20 giugno 2019)

Ruim een halve eeuw zijn door het Rijk subsidies verstrekt voor de restauratie of conservering van Nederlandse collecties die niet in rijksbezit zijn. Deze publicatie blikt terug op het ontstaan en de groei van deze subsidies, een nog... more

Desde a instituição da Academia de Belas Artes de Lisboa, em 1836, surgiram as preocupações com a manutenção das colecções de pintura que então passaram para a sua guarda. Ao longo dos anos, vamos encontrando múltiplas referências... more

Though we were already able to perceive how fundamental the English contribution was in defining the most current and global concept of Restoration, still a clear overview of the complex events relating to the affirmation of conservative... more

Though we were already able to perceive how fundamental the English contribution was in defining the most current and global concept of Restoration, still a clear overview of the complex events relating to the affirmation of conservative principles and a more in-depth knowledge of the documentary sources until now was missing. It was certainly essential to analyse the cultural profiles of all the main protagonists, accenting their theoretical contributions and changes in the restoration site approaches.
The historical reconstruction of the events was about developed over the course of three centuries, from the end of the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th, mostly based on the translation and study of texts never circulated in Italy, such as the fundamental document entitled “Papers on the Conservation of Ancient Monuments and Remains” (1865). The method to organize the research results is marked by the desire to know the sources in depth, structuring the text through them, always in relation to an overall view and a chronologically ordered path.
The first conservative propensities were felt at the end of the seventeenth century, and the attitudes that progressively led to a more mature conception of restoration began to be highlighted by Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor, and John Vanbrugh during the 18th century. The philosophical concept of authenticity emerged on the British cultural scene, and interest in the study and conservation of the prehistoric site of Stonehenge began.
John Ruskin is still universally considered the main representative of the reaction against the destructive treatment of ancient buildings, but the centrality of other contributions due to Welby Pugin, Gilbert Scott, and John James Stevenson was highlighted both in the development of the disciplinary theory and in the commitment to the conservative redirection of practice in the restoration site.
William Morris was positively affected by Ruskin’s influence, although his attitude was also marked by social and political issues; he fought to extend the concept of safeguarding to all historical heritage through the S.P.A.B. Society for the Protection of Ancient Building. The international campaign to defend St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice was launched in 1879, unequivocally affirming the principle of the universal value of historical and artistic testimonies, intended as a cultural heritage of humanity to be transmitted to the future. Thanks to the legitimate protests received from the United Kingdom, the young Italian State began a self-critical process in restoration matter and attempted to correct the serious organizational dysfunctions through the first legislative initiatives for the protection of monuments. The engineer Francesco Bongioannini and the archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli (head of the Direzione Generale di Antichità e Belle Arti of the Ministry of Public Education) were the key figures of these important innovations.
The same awareness also emerged in the United Kingdom, and the first government measures to defend the nation’s architectural and environmental heritage were enacted between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. The National Trust (also born from a vision of John Ruskin) added to the numerous associations already operating in the protection sector.
The research remains open to further acquisitions, but the less blurry portraits and the sharper cultural profiles of the numerous protagonists and interpreters of the restoration in the United Kingdom can already be perceived, reconfirming the precious contribution offered by the English culture to the birth and affirmation of the Restoration as a modern European conservative discipline.
God save the Restoration!

The article investigates the process of birth and development of the scientific approach to restoration in Russia which starts in the Eighteenth century but assumes its modern form only in the Twentieth century. The selected topic is... more

On the Conservation of Art and Architecture, course guide, Graduate Institute of Art History, National Taiwan Normal University, taught in 2021.

Teresa Demauro

Anno di Edizione: 2020
Edizione: L'ERMA di BRETSCHNEIDER
Collane: Studi e Ricerche del Parco Archeologico di Pompei , 44
ISBN: 9788891320933
Pagine: 224, 193 ill. Col.

In 1878, the founder of the Christian Museum in Esztergom, Hungary, Prince Primate and Archbishop János Simor (1813–1891) purchased an entire picture collection from the heirs of a private Roman collector, Canon Raffaele Bertinelli... more

When the modern Greek state was founded two hundred years ago, immediate interest was paid to the preservation of monuments from the nations’ historical past. Such interest initially covered monuments of classical antiquity, leaving... more

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- by Christopher Eck
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- 30
  History, Archaeology, Media Studies, Media and Cultural Studies

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- by Ibrahim Canbulat
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- 17
  Structure, Wood Science, Restoration, Prefabricated wood

This exhibition catalog features 80 works in all media that span three centuries by 60 artists from around the world who convey the wonder and fragility of life on earth. It highlights the collaborative relationship between artists and... more

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- by Barbara Matilsky
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- 19
  Art History, Environmental Education, Conservation, Contemporary Art

History of Conservation and Restoration

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