Art Conservation 101

Art conservation is the preservation of artwork. Curators of art museums try to appropriate works of art they feel will encourage greater patronage. In some cases, these art museum curators require the services of highly experienced, professional art conservators. Generally, this occurs when artwork has been found to be of considerable value in estate sales and through art dealers who do not want to repair damaged artwork.

 

The Unique Skills and Talents of Art Conservation

In addition to repairing damaged works of art, the skills and talents of professional art conservators requires them to visit art museums to ensure great works of art remain in top condition in an uncompromising environment.

 

To show the depth of importance of art conservators, these professionals all adhere to “Guidelines and Standards of Practice” as set forth by the professional organization, AIC (American Institute for the Conservation of Artistic and Historic Works).

 

Thus, an art conservator is experienced in proper pest and climate control, museum facility security and a broad knowledge of original artists’ use of color and design. These professionals must be able to detect an “overpaint” of a famous work of art and recover the original painting hidden beneath the overpainted artwork.

 

Tools of the Art Conservation Trade

In order to properly conserve artwork for preservation purposes, proper tools are needed by conservators. These include small implements like erasers, spatulas, tweezers, bone folders and cotton swabs. These tools help the conservator preserve works of art with such details as to appear untouched by other than the original artist. They also require a handheld black light to uncover “overpaints.”

 

Why is Art Conservation Important?

To understand the underlying factors of art conservation, it is important to study art value. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, generates a large patronage as a result of changing art exhibitions regularly to attract public interest.

 

An art conservator is required to store and lock away valuable pieces of art at this museum to make room for these displayed exhibits. The job of the art conservator is to properly transport works like 18th Century pastels, DaVinci, Matisse or Monet paintings, works of art from privately owned collections or those that are specially commissioned.

Conserving works of art is of primary importance in order to create the durability of artwork and also to preserve a continuance of the love of art for future generations.

 

What You Need to Know About Art Authentication

Although it can be a bit difficult to decipher whether or not a certain individual is deemed as a “qualified authority,” when approaching a conversation with this kind of individual, be sure to make note of the following:

Generally speaking, individuals who are known as qualified authorities are people who have extensively studied the artists, published scholarly papers about them and Also, another important attribute of a qualified authority is if this certain individual has sold a mass scale of anywhere between twenty to a hundred works by the given artist, or has previously written or is currently writing a piece highlighting the artist’s life work.

art authenticationQualified authorities may also be the artists themselves, relatives of artists, employees of artists, direct, individuals who have legal, formal, or estate-granted entitlements to provide their professional opinions on works of art created by particular artists. Among the rest of these important attributes, qualified authorities are those recognized throughout the art community as the professionals who are able to provide in depth analysis of a particular artist and their work.

Before purchasing art, be sure to look out for these traits that indicate the individual is not a professional qualified authority in the art community.

► Individuals who have written about an artist’s work or experience, but are not the primary experts in the art field.
► People who in any way, shape, or form attribute their art to artists, but who have no concrete proof of attribution and who are not recognized authorities on those artists.
► During this process, individuals that believe or sell art on the fact since art is signed by a certain artist, there is no question that work or painting is authentic.
► People who say “that’s what the previous owner told me,” but who have no other forms of proof.
► Be sure to keep a lookout for individuals who may be self-proclaimed qualified authorities, but who are not recognized by their peers as authorities.
► Art appraisers who are not recognized authorities on the artists in question, but who appraise the art as
being by those artists anyway.
► Individuals who are unable to produce tangible first-party proof that their art is by certain artists. This lack of evidence therefore highlights that you should in fact not go through with the deal.

Along with these tips, it is important to utilize a fair amount of common sense before you purchase art from a certain person. In addition to being extremely careful under all circumstances, make sure you have concrete proof that everything you’re being told is true before you make the purchase. Also, if you have the time or resources, make an extra effort to look for a second opinion to reaffirm any lingering doubts or concerns you may have.