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| Paintings conservation is not simply the dramatic process of removing dirt or discolored varnish from a picture. Paintings suffer from the same elements and forces to which many objects are subjected. Improper construction and inferior materials, poor painting techniques, aging and deterioration, environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and light, as well as accidents, disasters, vandalism, and well-intended but poorly designed and executed past restorations all may contribute to a painting's condition. |
Recognizing the cause or source of structural and cosmetic problems is an important part of determining a proper course of treatment for paintings. Essential, too, is understanding the historical context of a painting: what materials were used to execute a work; how and when was the piece restored; how did the artist intend the work of art to appear to the viewer? |
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The MACC Paintings Laboratory treats work from the ancient to contemporary, tiny to heroic in scale, mildly to severely damaged, and painting on every manner of support - canvas, metal, wood, cardboard, and walls. MACC paintings conservators address condition problems such as warped and split panels, torn canvases, water damaged paint layers and canvas, cleaving and flaking paint, blanched, oxidized, degraded surface layers, and deteriorated and aged canvases. |
| The staff of the Painting Conservation Laboratory of the Midwest Art Conservation Center is highly qualified to identify and treat the wide range of damage found in paintings. This diversity is reflected in the broad range of artifacts conserved: historic and artistically significant painting from ancient through contemporary; paintings executed on canvas, wood, metal, hardboard, paper supports; murals in public and private buildings; and more. |
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