Conservation is the preservation of cultural property for future generations. Preventative conservation strives to prevent deterioration by controlling and monitoring the environment, i.e., exposure to light and ultraviolet radiation and by maintaining the proper temperature and humidity levels. Remedial conservation repairs deterioration that has taken place with safe, reversible treatment methods and materials. The object is thoroughly examined and all phases of examination and treatment are documented with written reports and photographs. Conservators are extensively trained professionals with special expertise in their area of specialization. The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) is the national membership organization for conservation professionals.
The IMA’s Conservation Department has eight conservators with specializations in paintings, works on paper, textiles, and objects (furniture, sculpture, ceramics, etc.), as well as conservation technicians and administrative staff in a 7,300-square-foot laboratory housed in the museum’s main building.
The conservators work with the curators to preserve the thousands of works of art in the collection. Technical and research studies of artworks can reveal extraordinary information about how they were made, attribution (who the artist was), and authenticity, as well as illuminating its condition.
A recent example of this type of collaboration is a study made of a group of Italian Renaissance paintings attributed to either Giovanni Bellini or his workshop. This project resulted in an exhibition, a catalogue and a Web site that contains extensive information on how Italian Renaissance paintings were made and chronicles the conservation treatment of one of the paintings.
If you’re interested in finding out how to become a conservator click here.
Conservators care for all types of objects, not only in museums but in private collections. If you would like to find out how to care for your own treasures, click here.
If your treasures need help from a professional conservator, click here to find out more about professional qualifications and to locate a conservator in your area.