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instructionsFall 2008 Courses in Conservation
All courses are 3 points each unless otherwise noted.
The following courses fulfill the conservation requirement for art history students.
INFORMED LOOKING: TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE ART HISTORIAN &
ARCHAEOLOGIST
(Colloquium, 4 points) G43.2301.001
Richard E. Stone
Tuesday 10:00am-Noon
This course is introductory and nontechnical and is designed primarily to acquaint
art historians with the nature and use of materials in art and archaeology.
The historical sources dealing with art technology are considered in conjunction
with the modern methods of technical examination. The scientific methods employed
in the dating, authentication, and examination of monuments and works of art
are examined critically. Special attention is paid to the examination of objects
in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Enrollment is limited to eight students in art history and archaeology. Interested
students should consult the Academic Office for registration.
THE CONSERVATION OF INSTALLATION ART
(Seminar) G43.2302.005
Glenn Wharton
Friday 12:30-2:30pm
This seminar on conserving installation art focuses on documenting the conceptual
and material components of installations for purposes of conservation and re-installation.
It covers recent literature on installation variability and object contingency,
and explores models for collaborative research. Other concerns addressed in
the course are acquisition processes for nontraditional works, and both the
legal and ethical framework governing artists’ moral rights in the conservation
context.
Weekly seminar sessions combine lectures with student presentations and discussion
on course readings. Students work in teams to research complex installations
in MoMA’s collection. Research includes consulting with MoMA staff and
interviewing the artists to build documentation needed to re-install and conserve
the works in the future. Student teams conduct artist interviews and reports
on each installation. In addition, students individually write seminar papers
on broader topics relating to the conservation of installation art.
The course is open to conservation and art history graduate students specializing
in modern and contemporary art, upon approval by the instructor. Enrollment
is limited to twelve students. The course fulfills the conservation requirement
for art history students who must also enroll in G43.2302.005 for one additional
point.
MATERIAL SCIENCE OF ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY I
(Lecture) G43.2101.001
Hannelore Roemich
Thursday 3:00-5:00pm
The course extends over two terms and is related to Technology and Structure
of Works of Art I and II. Emphasis during this term is on problems related to
the study and conservation of organic materials found in art and archaeology
from ancient to contemporary periods. The preparation, manufacture, and identification
of the materials used in the construction and conservation of works of art are
studied, as are mechanisms of degradation and the physicochemical aspects of
conservation treatments.
Enrollment is limited to conservation students and other qualified students
with the permission of the faculty of the Conservation Center. This course is
required for first-year conservation students.
TECHNOLOGY & STRUCTURE OF WORKS OF ART I: ORGANIC MATERIALS
(Lecture and Laboratory) G43.2102.001
Conservation Center faculty and consultants
Coordinator: Michele D. Marincola
Tuesday & Thursday 10:00am-Noon
(occasionally 10:00am-1:00pm)
The course introduces first-year conservation students to organic materials
and the methods used to produce works of art, archaeological and ethnographic
objects, and other historical artifacts, as well as to aspects of their deterioration
and treatment histories. Emphasis is placed on the accurate identification of
materials and description of techniques, the identification and evaluation of
sub-sequent alterations, and an understanding of treatment history. As much
as is practical and possible, students learn by looking at and examining objects
directly. Each student is required to give three oral reports per semester on
objects in the study collection and at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Classes
may be a combination of lecture and laboratory. In order to accommodate Weld
trips or laboratory exercises, some sessions may last longer than two hours
and are arranged by the instructor with the class at the beginning of the term.
Enrollment is limited to conservation students and other qualified students
with the permission of the faculty of the Conservation Center. This course is
required for first-year conservation students.
INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS I
(Lecture) G43.2103.001
James H. Frantz
Monday 3:00-5:00pm
The course provides an introduction to instrumental methods of examination and
analysis that find frequent use in the Weld of conservation. As many of these
methods invoke the use of x-rays, a significant part of the course is devoted
to an understanding of their properties and applications. Methods of x-ray analysis,
including radiography, diffraction, and spectrometry, are reviewed and accompanied
by hands-on demonstrations and laboratory exercises aimed toward developing
student capability for independent use. Equipment housed in both the Conservation
Center and The Metropolitan Museum of Art is utilized and made available to
the students.
Enrollment is limited to students following the program in Conservation and
to other qualified students with the permission of the faculty of the Conservation
Center. This course is required for second-year conservation students.
EASEL PAINTINGS I
(Seminar and Laboratory) G43.2201.001
Dianne Dwyer Modestini
Hours to be arranged.
In the course of the semester, each student completes the consolidation, cleaning,
filling, retouching, and varnishing of an Old Master painting drawn from Samuel
H. Kress Collections in museums and universities across the United States. Examination,
documentation of condition, and comparative study of other works by the same
artist and school accompany the treatment. The student must provide a full report,
including photographic records, other examination findings, and analytical results
as indicated. Approaches to cleaning, compensation, and issues in connoisseurship
relating to the particular painting are emphasized. The Associate Conservator
for the Kress Paintings Program assists in the teaching of the course.
Students must have satisfactorily completed Technology and Structure of Works
of Art. Priority is given to those students intending to specialize in paintings
conservation.
Enrollment is limited to four; students must have the permission of the instructor
before registering for the course.
EXAMINATION & CONSERVATION OF MODERN & CONTEMPORARY PAINTINGS
(Seminar and Laboratory) G43.2201.005
Suzanne Siano
Wednesday 10:00am-12:30pm
The conservation of modern and contemporary paintings requires a set of skills
that are different from those learned in studying Old Master pictures. Students
in this course learn how to examine a twentieth- or twenty-first-century painting
and to write condition reports and treatment proposals; recognize the problems
that are common to this period; become familiar with the materials used to make
these works and the range of options to consolidate, clean, fill, and retouch
them; understand the roles of the living artist in conservation and of the conservator
in contemporary art; and learn about special problems such as colorfield paintings,
oversized pictures, raw canvas, devarnishing, and condition problems arising
from inherent vice and frequent handling. In addition to class projects, each
student is assigned a painting for treatment within the semester.
Students must have satisfactorily completed Technology and Structure of Works
of Art and Principles of Conservation. Priority is given to those students intending
to specialize in paintings conservation. Enrollment is limited to four; students
must have the permission of the instructor before registering.
THE CONSERVATION TREATMENT OF PRINTS & DRAWINGS I
(Seminar and Laboratory) G43.2202.001
Margaret Holben Ellis
Friday 10:00am-1:00pm
The materials and techniques of works of art on paper are reviewed with attention
given to those characteristics that are vulnerable to inappropriate conservation
treatments. Basic conservation treatments are introduced—surface cleaning,
washing, drying, tear repair, and flattening, with emphasis on examination and
documentation. Each student is expected to complete several partial exercises
and at least one full conservation treatment, including all testing, research,
treatment, and documentation.
Enrollment is limited to advanced students in conservation. Students must have
the permission of the instructor before registering for this course.
PRACTICAL PROBLEMS OF PRESERVATION: CONSERVATION OF ORGANIC ANTHROPOLOGICAL
MATERIALS
(Seminar and Laboratory) G43.2203.005
Linda Nieuwenhuizen
Thursday 10:00am-12:30pm
The course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the conservation
of anthropological objects created from organic materials. Each student selects
two to three objects for examination and treatment. Relevant conservation materials
and techniques are reviewed. General principles and problems pertaining to the
conservation of ethnographic and archaeological material are discussed, with
emphasis on the original appearance and function of the objects and how changes
in their condition coupled with our aesthetic perceptions influence their conservation.
Whenever possible, artifacts in New York collections comparable to those being
treated are examined by the class.
Enrollment is limited to students who have completed Technology and Structure
of Works of Art. Students must have the permission of the instructor before
registering for this course.
READINGS IN PAPER CONSERVATION
(Seminar) G43.2205.001
Margaret Holben Ellis
Tuesday 10:00am-Noon
Students read and discuss seminal texts in paper conservation dealing with a
series of topics ranging from the history of paper restoration, ethics, and
aesthetics, to current and outmoded procedures for treating works of art on
paper. Students are assigned a bibliography for further primary source development.
Enrollment is limited to advanced students in conservation. Students intending
to specialize in paper conservation must also enroll in G43.2202.001. Students
must have the permission of the instructor before registering for this course.
INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION: TREATMENT OF DETERIORATED WORKS OF ART
I
(Seminar and Laboratory) G43.2207.001
Conservation Center faculty and consultants
Hours to be arranged.
The student is assigned specific deteriorated objects related to their Weld
of special interest. The student examines and records their condition and then
recommends and performs courses of treatment. A review is made of published
records of treatment of related works. Students submit written reports of treatment
together with supporting illustrative materials.
Enrollment is limited to advanced students in conservation. A written project
proposal must be approved by both faculty and supervising conservator prior
to registration.
This course is also offered in the spring and summer terms.
INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION: EXAMINATION & ANALYSIS I
(Seminar and Laboratory) G43.2207.003
Conservation Center faculty and consultants
Hours to be arranged.
This course involves the instrumental and scientific analysis of materials of
a specific nature. Emphasis is placed on research to develop new methods of
examining, preserving, and restoring works of art exhibiting particular types
of structural failure. The results lead to a publishable paper.
Enrollment is limited to advanced students in conservation. A written project
proposal must be approved by both faculty and supervising conservation scientist
prior to registration. The course is also offered in the spring and summer terms.