All articles tagged with #art conservation
A 1,840-year-old marble column in Rome depicting scenes from Marcus Aurelius's reign is undergoing a $2.3 million laser restoration, the most extensive use of laser technology on an ancient monument, to remove grime, repair damage, and preserve its historical integrity, with completion expected in 2026.
The Bayeux tapestry will be insured for £800m during its return to the UK in 2026 for an exhibition at the British Museum, as part of a loan agreement with France, with concerns raised about transportation risks.
An 18th-century painting at Florence's Uffizi Gallery was damaged when a visitor tripped while taking a selfie, prompting the museum to consider stricter visitor behavior rules to protect artworks. The painting will be repaired and the exhibition temporarily closed until July 2, but will reopen as planned until November 28.
A visitor at Palazzo Maffei in Verona broke a fragile, Swarovski-crystal-covered chair by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, inspired by Van Gogh, after sitting on it and fleeing before staff could intervene. The museum has restored the artwork and urges visitors to respect art, emphasizing its fragility and the importance of responsible behavior.
A tourist in Verona accidentally shattered a fragile, crystal-covered 'Van Gogh' chair by falling on it, prompting a social media response and restoration efforts, highlighting the importance of respecting artwork.
Researchers at MIT have developed an AI-based method to restore damaged artworks quickly by creating digital reconstructions that are printed onto transparent sheets and overlaid on the paintings, significantly reducing restoration time and cost, especially for less valuable works, while raising ethical considerations about the technique's use.
Researchers from Washington State University successfully recreated the world's oldest synthetic pigment, Egyptian blue, using ancient methods, providing insights into its production and potential modern applications such as fingerprinting and counterfeit-proof inks.
Curators and conservators are facing the challenge of preserving and updating artworks that were created using obsolete technology. Museums are relying on businesses like CTL Electronics, which specializes in repairing video artworks made with outdated hardware. The rapid pace of technological advancements poses a dilemma for art institutions, as they must find ways to protect and conserve art that relies on technologies that are no longer in use. Some solutions include replacing old hardware with newer alternatives, using emulation techniques, or even exploring unconventional methods like archiving art in DNA. The preservation of digital art and the prevention of digital obsolescence are becoming increasingly important in the art world.
Conservators at the Guggenheim Museum in New York have discovered a small dog hidden beneath the painted surface of a Pablo Picasso painting, 'Le Moulin de la Galette,' using X-ray technology. The dog, which sports a red bow, was covered up by a patch of dark paint on the canvas. The painting is the centerpiece of the Guggenheim's current 'Young Picasso in Paris' exhibit, which showcases 10 paintings and drawings done by the Spanish artist upon his arrival in the French capital in 1900. The study also revealed other changes that Picasso made to the work, including swapping the genders of a dancing couple and painting over an empty chair.
A brown dog wearing a red bow around its neck has been discovered underneath layers of paint in an early Pablo Picasso masterpiece, Le Moulin de la Galette, completed by the Spanish artist when he was 19 years old in 1900. The painting is on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, as part of an exhibition about the painter’s formative years in Paris. Experts used modern imaging technology on the painting, revealing the hidden dog. Over the years, researchers have discovered multiple hidden paintings in works from Picasso’s “blue period” between 1900 and 1904.
Art conservators Jørgen Wadum and Angela Jager discovered a missing person in a painting by Cornelis De Vos, leading them to search for the identity of the woman. They found her portrait for sale and were able to reunite it with the original painting, which had been cut down in the 19th century. The family in the painting remains unidentified, but the paintings now hang side by side at the Nivaagaard Collection.