Conservation at American Art

Preserving the Parlor's Pictures

May 3, 2013

[Three Men and a Woman], Artist unidentified. Few architectural ideas are able to capture a sense of historical romanticism as readily as the notion of the nineteenth century parlor. Dark wood interiors complimented by the delicate white lace of table...

Lunder Conservation Center: Secrets of a Sailor

March 27, 2013

Conservator Amber Kerr-Allison (left) talks to Mary Tait (right) about a painting of her ancestor. The only thing I ever knew about the portrait that hung on my great aunt's wall for most of my childhood was that it showed...

Does a Sculpture Need Shoes?

February 5, 2013

Left: Members of American Art's conservation team make preparations to install Alexander Calder's sculpture Tableau Noir (The Blackboard). Right: Final installation of the sculpture. This one does because it's going outside! In order to protect against the outdoor elements, Hugh...

FEAR NOT, The Hampton Throne is Reinstalled!

November 29, 2012

James Hampton's Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly It seemed strangely appropriate that the art handlers were not wearing any shoes as they came in and out of the freshly painted niche on the first...

Revealing Homer in A Visit from the Old Mistress

November 8, 2012

Top: Winslow Homer's A Visit from the Old Mistress (white rectangle marks area of newly discovered signature). Bottom: Signature closeup. Click on image to enlarge. In this post, program coordinator Christopher Wayner talks about a recent discovery made by conservators...