Diagnosis and Conservation of Paintings

Code

11009

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Department

Departamento de Conservação e Restauro

Credits

6.0

Teacher in charge

Leslie Anne Carlyle

Weekly hours

5

Total hours

79

Teaching language

Português

Objectives

The course is designed to introduce third year undergraduate level conservation students to the care and preventive conservation of historical and modern easel paintings (panel and canvas supports primarily).

 

The primary objective is to develop observation and assessment skills through teaching professional level documentation (Examination and Condition Reporting), safe handling, and the diagnosis & evaluation of a painting’s state of preservation (stability/instability).

 

Students will acquire basic knowledge of the primary materials and layer structure of  traditional and modern  paintings, and the physical and mechanical properties of the paint composite (support, ground & paint layers, varnish).  To assess a painting’s state of preservation in order to make recommendations for safe display, storage and travel, students will learn the principal causes of deterioration and will be introduced to the ethical issues and range of options for both historical and current conservation-restoration procedures. Scientific methods and techniques for investigating paint and paintings will be introduced and students will learn to carry out photo-documentation as well as micro-sampling and the use of both the stereomicroscope and the optical microscope.

Prerequisites

Not applied.

Subject matter

Lectures 1-2 hour illustrated powerpoints.  Students are encouraged to ask questions throughout and to seek clarification for any of the concepts or issues being presented. Powerpoint lectures and associated publications/articles (as PDFs) for each session are available for students to download.

Studio sessions: students experience paintings first-hand and develop their visual/observational skills.  Students carry out an examination and condition report  and prepare or view paint and fibre samples with the optical microscope. They carry out photo-documentation with the following light sources: Normal, Raking, Transmitted, Ultra-violet (UV), and Infra-red (IR) as well as X-radiography. They are introduced to a range of diagnostic techniques used for investigating the materials and condition of a painting (e.g., FTIR, Raman, XRF, SEM-BSE).

Bibliography

The primary Source Book for paintings conservation is now:

The Conservation of Easel Paintings, Joyce Hill Stoner and Rebecca Rushfield (editors),Routledge, Oxon, UK and New York, NY, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-7506-8199-5 (hbk), 978-0-08-094169-1(ebk).

Teaching method

Lectures are typically one hour in length and are presented as powerpoints.  Each weekly session generally involves two one hour lectures.

Studio sessions are an opportunity for students to experience paintings first-hand and are designed to develop their visual/observational skills.  In teams of 4 or 5, students will carry out a thorough examination and condition report on a painting and carry out various diagnostic techniques and full photo-documentation.

Field trips: to see paintings in situ in a museums/gallery to become aware of surface qualities, and information regarding their stability/instability, and current aesthetic state.

Evaluation method

Diagnostics and fundamentals of paintings conservation (DCP)				Marking
Dr Leslie Carlyle and Raquel Marques				% of total
12 SEPTEMBER TO 15 DECEMBER
Classes are combined lectures and studio
	Class attendance for both lectures and studio time is Mandatory			5
12 Sept  to 7 Nov:
	Lectures & Demonstrations
	Laboratory time will be on Photo-documentation of a painting (in groups)
	31 Oct	Power point presentation for each group showing their photodocumentation		15
	22 Oct	Mid-term test on Lectures/Photodocumentation		25
7 Nov  to 12 Dec:
	Lectures & Demonstrations
	Laboratory time will focus on Examination and Condition Report preparation
	5 Dec	Each group''s Condition Report is due		20
	12 Dec	Presentation of each group''s Condition Report		10
	19 Dec	End of term test on Lectures/Condition reporting documentation		25
One afternoon (2 hour) Museum visit (30 Nov)
				100
Students who do not achieve a pass (9.5/20) in the term tests will have to write an exam.

 

Courses

• Licenciatura em Conservação - Restauro