Chemical Analysis provides non invasive and micro-analytical techniques for the investigation of cultural heritage materials. The tools and techniques, discussed by experts in the field, are of universal, sensitive and multi-component nature.

This book will introduce the reader to the wide variety of analytical techniques that are employed by those working on the conservation of materials. An introduction to each technique is provided with explanations of how data may be obtained and interpreted. Examples and case studies will be included to illustrate how each technique is used in practice. The fields studied include: inorganic materials, polymers, biomaterials and metals. Clear examples of data analysis feature, designed to assist the reader in their choice of analytical method.

In Chapter 1 Dudley Creagh writes on "synchrotron radiation and its use in art, archaeometry, and cultural heritage studies". Loic Bertrand has written in Chapter 2 on synchrotron imaging for archaeology and art history, conservation, and palaeontology. Dr. Bertrand is Archaeology and cultural heritage officer at the new French synchrotron, Synchrotron Soleil (Orme les Mesuriers, Gif-sur-Yvette, France). He is charged with the task of raising the awareness of cultural heritage scientists to the use of synchrotron radiation for their research. Chapter 3 has been written by Ivan Cole and his associates Dr David Paterson and Deborah Lau. This is concerned with the holistic modelling of gas and aerosol deposition and the degradation of cultural objects. Dr. Cole is Deputy Chief of the Novel Materials and Processes Division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Melbourne, Australia). He has over twenty years experience in involvement in projects concerned with the preservation of cultural heritage. Ivan is an internationally recognized leader in the field of the life cycle of materials and the development of protective coatings for metals. In Chapter 4, Giovanna Di Pietro describes two different types of experiments she has undertaken in the study of the mechanisms underlying the degradation of photographic media. In the first Dr. Di Pietro describes the degradation of old back-and-white plate. In the second she outlines her attempts to understand the mechanisms by which comparatively modern motion picture film degrades. A significant part of this project involved trying to ascertain exactly what dyes were used by Kodak in their motion picture film from about 1980 onwards. An entirely new technique for the remote investigation of the pigments in paintings is presented by Maria Kubik in Chapter 5. This technique will significantly enhance the ability of conservators to study the palette of pigments used by artists, check for repairs by others, and detect fraudulent paintings.· Demonstrates the amazing efforts being made in using physical techniques for the study of art, archaeology and cultural heritage· Provides succinct accounts of how cultural heritage is being preserved.· Looks at how science is being used to enrich our knowledge of the creative arts

Conservation of Easel Paintings, Second Edition provides a much-anticipated update to the previous edition, which has come to be known internationally as an invaluable and comprehensive text on the history, philosophy and methods of the treatment of easel paintings. Including 49 chapters written by more than 90 respected authors from around the world, this volume offers the necessary background knowledge in technical art history, artists’ materials and scientific methods of examination and documentation. Later sections of the book provide information about the varying approaches and methods for treatment and issues of preventive conservation, as well as valuable reflections on storage, shipping, and exhibition. Including exciting developments that have taken place since the last edition was published, the book also covers new techniques of examination, especially MacroXRF scanning and Reflectance Transmission Imagery. Drawing on research presented at recent professional conferences, information about innovative methods for cleaning modern and contemporary paintings and insights into modern oil paints is also included. Incorporating the latest regulations and understanding of health and safety practices and integrating theory with practice throughout, Conservation of Easel Paintings, Second Edition will continue to be an indispensable reference for practicing conservators. It will also be an essential resource for students taking conservation courses around the world.

In this book, for the first time, an examination of Egon Schiele’s general painting technique is carried out. The main case study for this comprehensive investigation is the painting “Stadtende/Häuserbogen III,” 1918, one of Egon Schiele’s last works, which is housed at Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz, Austria. In this book, the conservation campaign is detailed: uncovering portrait sketches integrated and painted over in the painting, unmasking the signature as a forgery, and recognising the frame as the original decorative frame. The research in the years following the conservation is detailed: discussing that, among other pigments, cadmium sulphide was confirmed in the paint material, which will influence subsequent conservation measures for the painting. The book’s examination continues with the complex interactions between environment and object that were also addressed in recently completed EU projects, concluding that continuously gained knowledge about external influences and storage materials used will help to adapt further measures to the painting as it continues to degrade.

Conservation of Easel Paintings is the first comprehensive text on the history, philosophy and methods of treatment of easel paintings integrating theory with practice. A guide to necessary background knowledge in technical art history, artists " materials, interviews with artists, scientific methods of examination and documentation precedes sections that present varying approaches and methods for treatment. This book concludes with the history and treatment of frames and a section featuring issues of preventive conservation, storage, shipping, exhibition, display, wall colours, and lighting. Extensive bibliographies at the end of each section point readers to additional resources. Conservation of Easel Paintings will be of use in the training of conservation students and will provide generations of practicing paintings conservators and interested art historians, curators, directors, collectors, dealers, artists, and students of art and art history with valuable information.

The function of the painted wooden object ranges from the practical to the profound. These objects may perform utilitarian tasks, convey artistic whimsy, connote noble aspirations, and embody the highest spiritual expressions. This volume, illustrated in color throughout, presents the proceedings of a conference organized by the Wooden Artifacts Group of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and held in November 1994 at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia. The book includes 40 articles that explore the history and conservation of a wide range of painted wooden objects, from polychrome sculpture and altarpieces to carousel horses, tobacconist figures, Native American totems, Victorian garden furniture, French cabinets, architectural elements, and horse-drawn carriages. Contributors include Ian C. Bristow, an architect and historic-building consultant in London; Myriam Serck-Dewaide, head of the Sculpture Workshop, Institut Royal du Patrimoine Artistique, Brussels; and Frances Gruber Safford, associate curator of American decorative arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. A broad range of professionals—including art historians, curators, scientists, and conservators—will be interested in this volume and in the multidisciplinary nature of its articles.

This is the first extensive art historical study on the discoloration of old master paintings, concentrating on oil paintings from the 15th to the 17th centuries.