This is a comprehensive guidebook to the fascinating aspects of the conservation and restoration of paintings. It explains clearly what happens in dealing with the confusing and multilayered problems encountered. The author discusses basic techniques, materials used in both the original paintings and in restoration, chemical formulas, the equipment and methods of handling and storage; he shows how many common pitfalls can be avoided, and offers other tips based on 30 years of experience. There are chapters on the Restorer and the Studio; Construction of Paintings; Technique of Painting; Renovation and Repair; and a bibliography, glossary and index. Eleven line drawings illustrate restoration techniques and the assembly of components.

This is a review of 190 years of literature on copper and its alloys. It integrates information on pigments, corrosion and minerals, and discusses environmental conditions, conservation methods, ancient and historical technologies.

1. This new edition of the highly successful book is the only available text to provide conservators and conservators-in-training with a very basic introduction to the language of science and to the scientific approach. 2. Providing worked examples and exercises throughout, the book will be essential reading for pre-program applicants to, and students already on, postgraduate conservation programs worldwide. It will also be useful to conservators who are looking to refresh their knowledge or fill gaps in their training. 3. This new edition is the only book on the topic that provides a basic introduction. It has been significantly expanded and updated, with new material about health and safety, sustainability, and materials testing, amongst other topics. The book also includes all-new illustrations, a list of further reading and is accompanied by a Companion Website.

Understanding the chemistry behind works of art and heritage materials presents an opportunity to apply scientific techniques to their conservation and restoration. Manipulation of materials at the nanoscale affords greater accuracy and minimal disturbance to the original work, while efficiently combating the affects of time and environment. This book meets the growing demand for an all-encompassing handbook to instruct on the use of today's science on mankind's cultural heritage. The editors have pioneered modern techniques in art conservation over the last four decades, and have brought together expertise from across the globe. Each chapter presents the theoretical background to the topic in question, followed by practical information on its application and relevant case studies. Introductory chapters present the science behind the physical composition of art materials. Four chapters explore various cleaning techniques now, followed by four chapters describing the application of inorganic nanomaterials. Each chapter is fully referenced to the primary literature and offers suggestions for further reading. Professional conservators and scientists alike will find this essential reading, as will postgraduate students in the fields of materials and colloid science, art restoration and nanoscience.

This unique book presents an integrated approach to the chemistry of art materials, exploring the many chemical processes involved. The Chemistry and Mechanism of Art Materials: Unsuspected Properties and Outcomes engages readers with historical vignettes detailing examples of unexpected outcomes due to materials used by known artists. The book discusses artists’ materials focusing on relevant chemical mechanisms which underlie the synthesis and deterioration of inorganic pigments in paintings, the ageing of the binder in oil paintings, and sulfation of wall paintings as well as the toxicology of these pigments and solvents used by artists. Mechanisms illustrate the stepwise structural transformation of a variety of art materials. Based on the author’s years of experience teaching college chemistry, the approach is descriptive and non-mathematical throughout. An introductory section includes a review of basic concepts and provides concise descriptions of analytical methods used in contemporary art conservation. Additional features include: Illustrations of chemical reactivity associated with art materials Includes a review of chemical bonding principles, redox and mechanism writing Covers analytical techniques used by art conservation scientists Accessible for readers with a limited science background Provides numerous references for readers seeking additional information

Forgeries present a daunting problem to art historians, museums, galleries and curators who face challenges in determining the authenticity of paintings. Recent progress in science has led to the development of new methods for investigating works of art, and can provide new insights into the materials found in paintings. The rise in the value of paintings together with the knowledge and skills of forgers highlights the need to develop reliable scientific procedures to identify fakes. Given the complexity of materials in paintings and the convergence of various disciplines, a methodological approach for nvestigations of paintings is based on art historical, curatorial, aesthetic, technical and scientific evaluation. In this book sophisticated digital and analytical techniques are reviewed for the identification of materials (pigments, binders, varnishes, adhesives) and the physical characteristics of paintings such as brushstrokes, craquelure and canvas weaves. This book presents an updated overview of both non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques that enable the material characterization of paintings. The materials constituting a painting are reviewed, as are ways that changes in materials over time can provide insights into chronology and physical history. State-of the art digital metods including multi and hyper-spectral imaging and computational approaches to data treatment will be presented. Analytical techniques developed and optimized to characterize binders, varnishes, and pigments are reviewed, focusing on materials which can provide information on ageing or provenance. Case studies of applications of synchrotron-based methods and the analysis of paintings are given, as are chapters devoted to legal aspects related to authenticity. Chapter 1 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Light allows us not only to see the works of art, but also to take care of them and preserve them for future generations, through diagnosis of the degradation and deterioration phenomena, conservation treatments, and monitoring based on light-material interaction processes. Recent progress on this subject was discussed during the 13th International Conference on Lasers in the Conservation of Artworks (LACONA XIII, Florence, Italy, 12-16 September 2022). This volume includes selected contributions presented at the conference on preservation topics, photonic techniques, and optimization methods. In particular, the papers focus on the development and use of innovative spectroscopic and imaging characterization techniques, the diagnostic knowledge of important artworks, and the optimization of the laser solution for preserving a growing variety of cultural assets, such as stone and metal artefacts, painted surfaces, textile, feather, and plastic artefacts. Lasers in the Conservation of Artworks XIII aims at scholars and operators of the community of preservation of cultural heritage, at teachers and students of training courses on diagnostic and conservation methods, applied physics, and chemistry, as well as archaeology and art history.

The cleaning of a work of art often involves removing not only dirt and grime but also unwanted layers of varnish, gilding, and paint from the work's surface. The challenge for conservators lies in finding a cleaning agent that will act on one layer without affecting the layer being preserved and without leaving any harmful residues on the cleaned work. This book, which examines gel cleaning in the treatment of paintings and painted works of art, presents the methodologies, data, and results of a collaborative project of the Getty Conservation Institute and Winterthur Museum. Among the issues covered are the theory and application of gel cleaning systems, the detection of residues left on the surfaces of objects cleaned with these systems, research into solvent-gel and solvent residues, stability of surfactants during natural and artificial aging, and recommendations for formulating gels for specific cleaning tasks.