PERSONAL VIEWPOINTS Thoughts about Paintings Conservation This page intentionally left blank Personal Viewpoints Thoughts about Paintings Conservation A Seminar Organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Research Institute at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, June 21-22, 2001 EDITED BY Mark Leonard THE GETTY CONSERVATION INSTITUTE LOS ANGELES & 2003 J- Paul Getty Trust THE GETTY CONSERVATION INSTITUTE Getty Publications 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500 Timothy P. Whalen, Director Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682 Jeanne Marie Teutónico, Associate Director, www.getty.edu Field Projects and Science Christopher Hudson, Publisher The Getty Conservation Institute works interna- Mark Greenberg, Editor in Chief tionally to advance conservation and to enhance Tobi Levenberg Kaplan, Manuscript Editor and encourage the preservation and understanding Jeffrey Cohen, Designer of the visual arts in all of their dimensions— Elizabeth Chapín Kahn, Production Coordinator objects, collections, architecture, and sites. The Institute serves the conservation community through Typeset by G&S Typesetters, Inc., Austin, Texas scientific research; education and training; field Printed in Hong Kong by Imago projects; and the dissemination of the results of both its work and the work of others in the field. Library of Congress In all its endeavors, the Institute is committed Cataloging-in-Publication Data to addressing unanswered questions and promoting the highest possible standards of conservation Personal viewpoints : thoughts about paintings practice. conservation : a seminar organized by The J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Research Institute at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, June 21-22, 2001 /volume editor, Mark Leonard, p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-89236-698-2 (pbk.) i. Painting—Conservation and restoration— Congresses. I. Leonard, Mark, 1954- . II. J. Paul Getty Museum. III. Getty Conservation Institute. IV. Getty Research Institute. NDi630. ?47 2003 751.6'2— dc2i 2002013972 Front cover: Gerard ter Borch (Dutch, 1617-1681), The Music Lesson, ca. 1668. Oil on canvas, 67.6 x 54.9 cm (26% x 21% in.). Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum, 97.PA.4 (detail). Back cover: The Music Lesson during treatment in the paintings conservation studio at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Photo: Tom Bonner, © J. Paul Getty Trust Contents vü Foreword v¡ ¡ I Introduction SESSION i i The Conservator as Narrator: Changed Perspectives in the Conservation of Paintings DAVID BOMFORD 13 Croce e Delizia ANDREA ROTHE 26 Comments JOHN WALSH 30 Comments ASHOK ROY 31 Panel Discussion SESSION 2 41 The Artist's Voice MARK LEONARD 59 Ravished Images Restored J0RCEN WADUM 73 Comments PHILIP CONISBEE 79 Panel Discussion SESSIONS 83 Embracing Humility in the Shadow of the Artist CAROL M ANCUSI-U NC ARO 95 Episodes from a Pilgrimage ZAHIRA VELIZ 104 Comments SCOTT SCHAEFER no Panel Discussion ne Closing Remarks JOHN WALSH 120 About the Authors 123 Index 126 Photograph Credits This page intentionally left blank Foreword ublications about the conservation and treatment of paintings are not rare. What makes this publication unique is that a group of distinguished con- p servators agreed to reconsider one or two treatments that they had done in the past and reflect in public on why they approached the work the way they did and what, if anything, they might do differently today. Furthermore, an equally distinguished group of curators responded to their thoughts. The presentations, as well as the dialogue that ensued, provide a remarkable and privileged glimpse into the minds of these professionals. We know this publication will be of interest to con- servators, curators, and academic art historians. We also hope it will help young conservators and conservation students find their own approaches to their work. The presentations and discussions reported here took place during a two-day seminar held at the Getty Center on June 21 and 22, 2001. The seminar was jointly organized by three programs of the J. Paul Getty Trust: the Museum, the Conser- vation Institute, and the Research Institute. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in the seminar for their candid presentations and their thoughtful discussions. THOMAS CHOW Director, Getty Research Institute DEBORAH GHIBBON Director, J. Paul Getty Museum Vice President, J. Paul Getty Trust TIMOTHY P. WHALEN Director, Getty Conservation Institute vu Introduction MARK LEONARD he work of a paintings conservator involves intimate contact with works of art. The work is based upon a deep commitment to aesthetic values and T understanding, and proceeds in partnership with the most advanced sci- entific tools and concepts. Few, if any, conservators believe that they are bringing the painting back to its original state, but many, if not all, strive to make it possible for viewers to encounter the work of art as closely as possible to the way in which the artist may have intended it to be seen. This volume of essays and commen- taries explores some of the practices of paintings conservators in hope of articulating the values, concepts, and theoretical commitments that animate the best work in con- servation today. The contents of this volume were originally presented as part of a two-day sem- inar at the Getty Research Institute in June of 2001. Ten people had been invited to participate: six conservators, three curators, and a conservation scientist. The con- servators were asked to prepare an article-length essay that told the story of conser- vation work they had done on a painting that was successful as well as conservation work they had done that either was unsuccessful or, with the benefit of hindsight, they might have approached differently. Although some technical descriptions might be necessary, it was understood that the essays should focus on the conservators' un- derlying motivations and thought processes during the course of their work. Any discussion of material or technical issues should ultimately lead to highly personal articulations of the conservator's basic philosophies and beliefs concerning his or her own encounters with works of art. The seminar was divided into three sessions. At each session, two of the con- servators made their presentations, and a curator then presented a commentary (prepared in advance, as the curators had been given the papers prior to the semi- nar). The trio then engaged in conversation, joined by the conservation scientist; eventually, the discussion was opened to include the small invited audience. Summary remarks by John Walsh, Director Emeritus of the J. Paul Getty Museum, brought the viii seminar to a close. Our goal for this publication has been to maintain as much as pos- sible the atmosphere and dynamic of the two-day seminar. To that end, the book fol- lows the original framework, including edited transcripts of the lively discussions. The concept for this seminar was somewhat experimental, and we realized from the beginning that it would require a certain leap of faith on the part of those who were asked to contribute. In developing our initial wish list of participants, we tried to assemble a diverse group of strong voices, yet a group that would share a common passion for works of art. Their contributions proved to be, as we had hoped, both thoughtful and provocative, and I am personally very grateful to everyone who participated for their generous efforts. I would like to thank Michael Roth, the former Associate Director of the Getty Research Institute, who initiated our discussions about this seminar and oversaw its early organization. I am also grateful to my co-organizing colleagues, Marta de la Torre, of the Getty Conservation Institute, and Charles Salas, of the Getty Research Institute, for their efforts in bringing both the symposium and this publication to fruition. A debt of gratitude is owed also to Rosa Lowinger for her thoughtful and informed editing of the discussion transcripts. This volume is not intended to provide an exhaustive investigation of all of the complex philosophical issues related to the field of paintings conservation. Instead, it is a modest but sincere effort by a dedicated group of professionals to explore some of their often-unarticulated thoughts concerning their work with each other and with works of art. These thoughts bring us closer to understanding the relationship between conservation, the conservator, and the original work of art. In that light, this volume does, I think, make a new contribution to the literature in our field and will, I hope, sow the seeds for similar publications. And for a broader audience, it may add a new layer of understanding to their grasp of why the works of art that they welcome into their lives look the way they do. ix SESSION 1 i The Conservator as Narrator: Changed Perspectives in the Conservation of Painting8 DAVID BOMFORD 13 Croce e Delizia ANDREA ROTHE 26 Comments JOHN WALSH 30 Comments ASHOK ROY 31 Panel Discussion The Conservator as Narrator: Changed Perspectives in the Conservation of Paintings DAVID BOMFORD his is a brief account of one paintings conservator's changing perspectives in a career spanning more than three decades at the National Gallery, T London. It charts a trajectory that begins with restoration practices devel- oped at the Gallery in the post-war era and brings us to the present day, in which this conservator's role has become something quite different. It is a role that is still rooted in practice