Personal Viewpoints: Thoughts About Paintings Conservation

Bringing innovative scientific techniques to an aesthetic endeavor, paintings conservators face countless decisions as they implement a course of treatment for each picture in their care.

The papers in this book, originally presented at a recent seminar organized by the Getty Museum, explore the values, assumptions, and goals that shape the work of paintings conservators. Six conservators, three curators, and a conservation scientist candidly reflect on the challenges in approaching specific works of art. Each conservator describes a successful conservation effort, as well as a project that, in retrospect, might have been approached differently. Their insights, the responses of the curators and conservation scientist, and the panel discussions contribute to a thoughtful analysis of the ever-evolving art and science of paintings conservation.