by Kelly Presutti | 22 December 2010 | Books, Conservation
A new book put out by the Harvard Art Museum explores the Fogg’s role as the first museum to have a scientifically based research department – conceived by Edward Waldo Forbes, director from 1909 to 1944, as a “laboratory for the fine arts”. Forbes was heavily influenced by John Ruskin, and his arguments for the care of pictures are dramatic and sweeping:
We value human life, and rightly so, yet who among us would be hardy enough to state that the preservation of this life for a few years more or less would be of equal importance with the preservation of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel? We are born to die; these frescoes are born to live. How many among us can bear as important a part in the civilization of the world, and can carry as rich a freight of inspiration to countless thousands of our fellow-men for generations to come, as Botticelli’s Primavera, or one of Titian’s masterpieces? I would not minimize the importance of preserving our own lives but would emphasize the preserving of lives of our pictures. When we die, others will take our places; but what would replace Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper or the paintings in the Uffizi, should they perish?
Written by Francesca G. Bewer, the book also addresses the impact of developments in science on art history. She takes us through early uses of X-rays in determining fakes; the controversial restoration of masterpieces; publicity campaigns to raise funds and public awareness; the insistence on documenting conservation decisions; research into artists’ techniques and materials; questions of inpainting; the impact of WWII on the field; and the critical role of the journal Technical Studies in opening communication in what was a deeply secretive profession. The book is rich in specific case studies, ranging from Forbes’ initial inspiration, a blistering 16th century panel attributed to Benvenuto di Giovanni he had purchased in Italy and struggled to preserve, to a discussion of bronze disease in 7th century BC Egyptian statuary. It’s also full of fantastic images, including documentation of works before and after restoration; scenes of Army commanders packing away Michelangelo statues in German mines; and photos of students peering over early laboratory equipment. Although it focuses primarily on Harvard, the study manages to give a broad picture of the evolution of conservation as a field and some indication of its status today.
X-rays can also reveal forgotten originals, as was the case recently with the Met’s Velazquez: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/arts/design/21velazquez.html