Praxis Fall 2016 Independent Study: Understanding CONSERVATION SCIENCE & ART CONSERVATION Intern: Faculty Advisor: Fieldwork Supervisor: Lizhu Duanmu Marianne Weldon Kate Duffy BMC’17 Objects Conservator, Collections Manager Conservation Scientist [email protected] Special Collections, Bryn Mawr College The Philadelphia Museum of Art [email protected] [email protected]
Art Conservation: Conservation Science: Preserving Cultural Properties Scientific Laboratory at PMA ART CONSERVATION focuses on the protection of The mission of the laboratory is to support the museum tangible cultural heritage. Conservation treatments are by performing scientific analysis on cultural heritage done to preserve the object’s physical integrity, its objects in the Museum’s collection. There are two aesthetics and cultural significance. Conservation conservation scientists and five analytical instruments in activities include examination, preservation and the lab. For my projects, I was introduced to Pyrolysis-Gas conservation-restoration. SCIENCE serves as the basis for Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GCMS). For Py- the proper preservation and treatment, providing happy GCMS, a 20-40 microgram-size analytical information on materials, conditions, and past sample is removed from the object. treatments. Through this Praxis course, I want to The instrument breaks larger understand the art conservation field in general, and what organic molecules into smaller information conservation science provides in relation to compounds indicative of the the objects being studied. original molecules of the sample.
Taking A Glimpse into the Field: Featured Project: Site Visit to Art Conservation Institutions Renaissance Chiaroscuro Woodblock Prints In the art conservation field, there is increased sharing For the chiaroscuro woodcuts, Py-GCMS was used to of information between the East determine the organic binding and the West. In my visit to the materials used for printing ink, laboratories at the Conservation which, according to literary Center for Art and Historic sources, consisted of a colorant Artifacts, I was surprised that and a vehicle such as linseed oil. Japanese tools were used in Py-GCMS identified the binding CCAHA, Philadelphia, PA. western paper conservation. A medium as a mixture of drying second tour to the Nishio oil and pine resin. The addition of Conservation Center revealed pine resin increases the viscosity how treatments on Japanese of the oil, allowing the ink to artworks were implemented with better adhere to the woodblocks both traditional and modern tools during the printing process. Ugo da Carpi, Diogenes. c.1527. and materials. Nishio Conservation Studio. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Accession #: 1985-52-320. Oil
FA 1 FA 2
Analysis by FA 2 FA 1 FA 3 Py-GCMS FA 3
Glycerol Backbone Fat 1 = Azelaic Acid Fatty Acids Fat 2 = Palmitic Acid Kano Seisen'in Osanobu, Screen with Scene from the Tales of Genji. 1819-1834. Fat 3 = Stearic Acid Bryn Mawr Special Collection. Accession #: 2014.4.5
Internship at the PMA, I found that flexibility is Reflection: important. I was expected to take on various duties and Science & Conservation & Art History complete different tasks including: data entry, inventory, filing, research, and data analysis. This project was also a From this Praxis course, I gained an understanding of the great opportunity to integrate my knowledge of art history field of art conservation, and fully engaged in technical with my lab research, introducing a different perspective analysis at the laboratory in an art institution. From this to look at art objects – through the lens of science.