Conservation
Reconstructing the Staff of Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii
Objects conservation fellow Adrienne Gendron shares the story of Nydia, a sculpture representing a heroine from a 19th-century novel, and the thoughtful considerations behind her conservation approach.
By Adrienne Gendron
Giving the Dead Their Due: An Exhibition Re-Examines Funerary Portraits from Roman Egypt
In a powerful exhibition, four ambitious curators tell the most complete account to date of a deeply misunderstood object: the Roman Egyptian funerary portrait.
By Graham Weber
Reframing Albert Moore’s Study for “Blossoms”: Historical Design, Contemporary Production
Read how a curatorial fellow and frame conservator teamed up to create a historically accurate reproduction of an unusual 19th-century frame.
By Allison Jackson, Sophie Lynford
Introducing the Art + Science Pathway
Stories about what’s hidden within a selection of works—discovered through technical analysis—are now highlighted in the galleries.
By Sophie Lynford, Kate Smith
Multi-layered: Louis Delsarte’s Color Separations
A conservation scientist and paper conservator explain how Louis Delsarte made his photolithograph Unity using color separations.
By Christina Taylor, Georgina Rayner
Understanding Paper: Structures, Watermarks, and a Conservator’s Passion
Paper conservation fellow Leonie Müller guides readers in an examination of paper’s material qualities and explains how its structures reflect the process of how it’s made.
By Leonie Müller
Finding Its Footing: The Puzzles of an Ancient Amphora
In their collaborative effort to reconstruct the base of an ancient vessel, a conservator and a curator make unexpected discoveries.
By Haddon Dine, Susanne Ebbinghaus
Art Talk: What Can We Learn from an Ancient Silver Fragment?
A modern reconstruction of a fragmentary ancient object reveals details about its original appearance and its highly skilled manufacture.
Something You Can’t See
Charlene Briggs, receptionist in the Art Study Center, delves into the story behind one of the most famous materials in the Forbes Pigment Collection.
By Charlene Briggs
Art Talk: Lifting the Veil from Herbert Bayer’s Verdure
In celebration of the Bauhaus centennial, one of the largest paintings in the Harvard Art Museums collections was cleaned and restored while being studied alongside preparatory works in the collections.